Okumen Gokurakuchou
by wild-filly
Summary: Questioning from his team results in Kakashi remembering areas of his past that perhaps should be left alone, including the origins of his Sharingan and Chidori as well as the Jounin exam KakashiOC: Lime, humour, angst COMPLETE
1. Memories

Wild-filly: Greetings and welcome to not only my first Naruto fanfiction, but also my first fic with a considerably more serious genre than any other I have ever written ^_^  
  
All of my previous work has been largely humorous and I have made a point of rarely dabbling into romance fanfiction, however this is a great change in writing style for me and I ask for you to please be patient........ My thanks to anyone who can provide me with comments as to what they think of this fanfiction and how it rates as my first, somewhat darker story.  
  
I've read all currently available manga, seen about forty episodes and done some side researching and given my imagination rein to fill in the (rather large) gaps to come up with the rather sketchy plot featured ^_^ Most of this is just what I've analysed and suppose may have happened, but then again, that's the beauty of fanfiction isn't it?  
  
Disclaimer: Much to my dismay, I don't own any of the characters from Naruto...... although I have been creating a Kakashi shrine in my locker ^_^  
  
***  
  
Okumen Gokurakuchou: Memories  
  
***  
  
A gentle haze of smoke filtered through the evergreen forest canopy, murky hue almost invisible against the brilliant night sky dotted with pale, pinprick stars. The forest normally teeming with the rustling, growls and chirping of nocturnal creatures going about their nightly affairs were more or less disrupted tonight by the unexplained arrival of three Genins and a Jounin – one of the Genin making enough noise for more than the group combined.  
  
"IT BURNS!"  
  
Uzumaki Naruto threw the stick-speared marshmallow as far away as he could, eyes watering as he attempted to scrape molten marshmallow from the sides of his face.  
  
Uchiha Sasuke glanced sideways irritably at the disgrace occasionally referred to as a fellow student, trying to ignore the blond boy's uncoordinated flailing around their small campsite in his quest for the water canteen. Harano Sakura glowered, delicately savouring her own marshmallow and debating whether or not she should whack Naruto and yell for him to shut up, or yell for him to shut up and then whack him.  
  
From where he was entranced by the pages of his notoriously dodgy novel, Hatake Kakashi turned a terminally bored eye to where Naruto was trudging back to his spot perched on a fallen pine tree, hair water-logged and face still bearing tribute to the marshmallow assault.  
  
"Hey, they get pretty hot when you hold them in the fire too long".  
  
Sasuke gave a growl of exasperation, "whatever gave you the idea that fire could make things hot?!"  
  
Kakashi shook his head in mock despair as Naruto lunged for Sasuke's throat, dislodging a shriek of rage from Sakura and a shriek of agony from Naruto as his lunge carried one foot right into the middle of the campfire. Grinning privately behind his mask, Kakashi shook his head condescendingly, "this exercise was supposed to promote teamwork. Neither you Naruto, nor you Sasuke, are helping matters".  
  
Glancing up from his anguished nursing of the singed foot, Naruto shot a venomous glare towards the nonchalant Sasuke, opening his mouth to both contradict his sensei and in some way make Sasuke look bad. However, before he could begin this carefully planned chain of events, Sakura picked the last of her marshmallow from her stick and threw it gracefully into a nearby bush, startling a sheltered bird into flight. The ghostly creature gracefully winging its way through the trail of smoke and into the dark abyss that was the sky above.  
  
Momentarily distracted, Naruto paused before launching into his verbal attack. Kakashi-sensei wasn't even looking at either him or Sasuke; his eye instead never leaving the fear-fuelled flight of the terrified wood pigeon. Even by Kakashi standards, his expression was unreadable. Naruto blinked, "Kakashi-sensei?"  
  
The troubled eye faltered, blinked and relaxed, flickering back to his boisterous pupil, "hai, Naruto?"  
  
"Why do you always wear that stupid mask?"  
  
Sakura looked up, curious as to her teachers answer and inwardly despairing at just how randomly placed Naruto's train of thought was. Even Sasuke turned slightly to fix Kakashi with interest; chin in hands raised slightly to better his focus.  
  
"What does it have to do with teamwork?" queried Kakashi evasively, eye bending into a cheerful smile, "it's no great matter of interest".  
  
Naruto grinned as well, Kakashi mentally cringing; Naruto had obviously had an idea of some form.  
  
"It IS a form of teamwork Kaka-sensei! We all want the answer, and me asking is helping the team!"  
  
Rolling his one exposed eye, Kakashi pondered over how to explain to his students that it was because his uncovered face was embarrassingly good looking for a ninja, leading to equally embarrassing dialogue between himself and any opponent he faced. Not a chance – he'd never be allowed to forget it. Worse still... he may even develop his own fan club in a similar league to Sasuke's – such a fate was too hideous even for a genius and former assassin to contemplate.  
  
Naruto was not amused at being ignored, "hey! What gives? Tell us!"  
  
"Ne? Oh yeah, well I guess it's just my trademark". Naruto slumped back on his log, bracken settling over his vivid orange outfit, face clearly writ with disappointment of being deprived of a story of worthy blackmail material.  
  
Sasuke blinked, eyes hardening with concentration as he sat up to properly scrutinize Kakashi's reflective expression. "Can I ask then, why you have that tattoo on your upper arm".  
  
It wasn't even a question. It was an accusation.  
  
Kakashi blinked. "Nani? What tattoo? I don't have a tattoo". He was always careful not to roll up the thick black sleeves of his uniform for fear of exposing the old brand of the ANBU. There was no shame in being a former member, but perhaps it would change their opinion of him and his ninja way. He wasn't even entirely sure that they knew what the ANBU were to Konoha. Sasuke maybe, Sakura possibly, Naruto......not as such.  
  
The icy glare from Sasuke intensified, "the one on your left upper arm. It is a symbol of some sort. Don't lie".  
  
Kakashi was now most annoyed, how could he have slipped up so? The delicate manoeuvres painstakingly taken to avoid having the vivid mark revealed could not have failed him so.  
  
"Yeah, you have got a tattoo on your shoulder. I didn't notice since you always have your shirt and jacket on".  
  
Kakashi observed that he had, indeed, removed his favoured garb for some reason and was sporting a somewhat threadbare white t-shirt with a Konoha leaf on the chest. How could he have slipped up on the concealment plan at this crucial time? Why on earth had he chosen today of all days to invest in pyjamas?! WHY had he chosen to invest in pyjamas? Ok, enough of that train of thought.  
  
"I used to be part of the ANBU. A trained assassin for the Leaf. That is part of the reason why the Chidori is a specialized technique for assassination".  
  
Naruto's face split into a wide grin, "wow! I didn't know you were part of some assassination squad! What was it like?" he demanded eagerly.  
  
Sakura frowned, being more sensitive to these issues than Naruto. Her studies in passing the Genin exams had lead her to delve deeply into the assorted written works of great Shinobi. The lives of these people had not been easy, especially not the lives of those who were involved in methodical, unconditional obedience to their superiors, taking life without emotion. It tended to leave scars, stains that did not heal or clean. She was worried about just what Naruto was digging into.  
  
Kakashi smiled gently, "It was a very unusual time, and not an easy one to describe to one so young. Perhaps when you have experienced more open combat and taken harder missions you will find it easier to understand".  
  
Torn between vexation at being snubbed about his age and joy of the promise of more challenging missions, Naruto gave a yelp of excitement, "when do we have another mission Kaka-sensei? Tomorrow? What're we doing? Nani?"  
  
"Hai, hai, hai, we'll have a mission in two days. Tomorrow we'll be collecting our information from the Fifth Hokage, but now we need to rest up for it".  
  
As he unrolled his sleeping bag and scrambled in with practised ease, Kakashi quietly watched his three students set up their own sleeping mats and after a few arguments over personal space, slowly slipped into slumber.  
  
Gazing up at the stars pensively, Hatake Kakashi absent-mindedly rubbed the dark tattoo etched into his arm. So many memories, so many thoughts to be dredged up by such simple questions......  
  
*  
  
Midnight black. Rolling, black tresses of silken coils caught and haphazardly tamed by a rough white cord. White cord, as pale as the back of her neck shadowed by the cascade of long dark hair. Slowly turning forbidding blue eyes to bore into his own. The cold glare softened to one mocking but more gentle. She always made a fool of him. Her mood swings were so severe it was hard to believe they were human.  
  
Why did he see her now? She was gone.  
  
Well..... more or less.  
  
*  
  
wild-filly: Chapter 1 coming soon with any luck ^_^ Please review and tell me what you think........ I've never written anything along these lines before, thanks! 


	2. Chapter 1

Wild-filly: ^_^ Thanks go to my first reviewers DarkDemonMaster, SilverKnight7, nobody, MoonWraith and Darker Magenta for their encouragement.  
  
In answer to MoonWraith's constructive criticism that I will berate her about at school for, this fic more or less takes place in Kakashi's memory, so please bear in mind that I've had to fill in some details that I haven't found answers for. It's also not incredibly dark or grim at the moment BECAUSE NOTHING DARK HAS HAPPENED!!!! I'm a humour writer more than angst, and Kakashi's life isn't continually depressing in this fic at least... I hope this has helped clear up a few things ^_^  
  
Disclaimer: *sigh* Unfortunately I still have to write these stupid things *monotone voice* As much as she would love to, wild-filly does not own Naruto, Kakashi or anyone else from the manga and anime. She does, however, own her OC and the half-empty coffee cup with a pony motif beside the computer... it's something I suppose ^_^  
  
***  
  
Okumen Gokurakuchou: Chapter 1  
  
***  
  
How long had it been? More than twelve years, certainly. The exact number of days? Ah, who knows. He'd lost track of this kind of thing even since before becoming a Jounin. There, that's when it all began, two months after his sixteenth birthday...  
  
*  
  
It was a just a little more than an hour after dawn, gentle spring light throwing an elegant traditional Japanese building into serene relief. Small groups of anxious Chuunin stood huddled by the bronzed entrance, automatically segregated into different villages and all feeling the slight bitter chill reminiscent of winter and of being woken so early. It was not going to be an easy day for any of them, regardless of their origins.  
  
"Sorry I'm late. Someone moved the building".  
  
A lanky silver-haired Chuunin casually ambled over to the apprehensive group of other Leaf Chuunin; striding easily over the dew-tipped grass, seemingly oblivious to the fact that he was more than an hour late. Not that this appeared to particularly matter, since calling all of the prospect Jounin early to the examinations appeared to be a sadistic ploy to see who could handle the stress before the exam, as well as during.  
  
Nerves strung out to the maximum as it was, a gangling adolescent with an unflattering bowl haircut gave a yowl of frustration, "why would someone move the building exclusively to ensure that you and ONLY you are late?! You're a hopeless liar, Hatake Kakashi".  
  
Completely unabashed, Kakashi ignored what may pass as a greeting from the hyperactive teenaged boy with a hairstyle that could serve as a mirror pacing at the side of the building, turning cheerfully instead to the others regarding him with sullen indifference.  
  
"Good morning Masurao, Ibiki, Ebisu..... Gai"  
  
Masurao grinned, rolling his dark eyes in a combination of annoyance and humour. Everything had been changing recently, but some things never changed; and his team-mate's complete inability to appear less than an hour after the designated meeting time was one of them. "Good morning. How could you come late to the exam you've had to wait ten years for?"  
  
Kakashi shrugged, black eyes arching into a grin over his dark mask, "force of habit I suppose".  
  
Ebisu straightened, absentmindedly brushing a piece of nonexistent dust from his spotless black uniform as he fixed Kakashi with a disapproving glare over his black sunglasses, "you should show our instructors a little more respect. If it hadn't been for the fact that they seem to have intentionally called us out to wait this long, you may have been instantly failed".  
  
Masurao and Kakashi exchanged a despairing glance. Ebisu was one of those people who could do no wrong; a complete teacher's pet and seemingly immune to any and every human emotion. It was the popular goal of many Chuunin to find some way to make him ridiculously drunk without directly threatening their continued existence.  
  
Somewhat affronted that he had been ignored, Gai scanned the area, striking one of his now infamous poses as he did so. Masurao, Kakashi and Ibiki automatically took a step off to one side, attempting to make appear as though they were part of another group. Practising these "poses" had been one of Gai favourite pastimes even during class. Masurao, Ibiki and Ebisu had no real problems with Gai as far as his attitude went. He was a nice enough person; a little odd perhaps, but not prone to homicidal urges or other unpleasant characteristics and therefore; not all that objectionable. Between Gai and Kakashi however, there was a particularly special kind of hatred.  
  
So why did Gai and his "eternal rival", as he had dubbed the nonchalant Kakashi, hang around in the same group of Chuunin? This, along with the answer to life, the universe and everything, is more or less unknown or put in such ridiculous terms that no one knows what to make of them and ultimately gives up in disgust.  
  
"Someone's coming!"  
  
Kakashi sighed as Gai yelped out the message to everyone within a kilometre radius. "You don't say?"  
  
Gai jerked around, glaring at his rival, thick eyebrows bent in an expression of fury that only intensified as Kakashi proceeded to ignore the challenge and instead began to casually rub at the vivid tattoo on his arm, yawning behind his mask.  
  
"Very good, as much as I'd expect from my eternal rival... your attitude irritates me to no end". Gai trailed off as a group of four white-robed ninja broke through the clusters of moody Chuunin and stepped up onto a slight wooden podium, situated at the arched entrance of the aged building.  
  
One of the ninja strode forward, easing back his hood as he moved. Spiky blond locks flicked out into the open, startling Kakashi to attention; his sensei was here.  
  
The Fourth Hokage coughed, clearing his throat as he surveyed the sea of faces before him. He caught the eyes of his former pupils, grinning slightly before frowning. "I proudly welcome to you all to the Jounin exam. It is vital that you all understand the importance of the venture you are all about to undertake. Some of you have only recently deemed yourselves fit to enter while others have believed themselves worthy well before they were of the age limit". His azure eyes rested on Kakashi's, twinkling in humour. Kakashi grinned in spite of himself. Try telling a six year-old Chuunin genius with an ego problem that he's not old enough to become a Jounin; it took a very special kind of teacher.  
  
The Hokage continued, "This exam however, will require skills that have taken you all most of a lifetime to achieve. Like the Chuunin exam, you will sit an initial paper test, but after that, you will have to face challenges that few of you have ever encountered".  
  
His eyes hardened, closing coldly as he stepped backwards and another of the examiners moved into his position. This one was female, short curly hair a deep crimson against her pale hood. "You will all now be sitting the first exam in one of the classrooms behind me. Shut up and follow".  
  
Stringing along towards the back of the mass as the Chuunin filed into the delicately decorated building, Masurao yawned widely, "charming introduction really".  
  
Ebisu frowned disapprovingly as Kakashi snorted, backed by Gai who could never resist an opportunity to snub his eternal rival.  
  
"Ebisu-san is right! Even in the flames of youth, you two would both do well to show our superiors due respect!"  
  
Even Ebisu gave a slight shudder and stepped off to one side, Kakashi smacking into a Chuunin girl in his haste to get out of range.  
  
"Watch where you're going, asshole!"  
  
Kakashi debated glaring and defending his dignity but upon observing the livid expression on the girl's face decided that polite indignance would be safer. "I humbly apologise for my clumsiness, may I be so venturous as to beg for forgiveness?" Well... sarcasm was close enough.  
  
He was treated to another icy glare before the other Chuunin stalked off, long black and white ponytail twitching irritably over her shoulders in her brisk gait to catch up with the rest of the class. Masurao snickered, "really smooth Kakashi..."  
  
Unable to face his supposed best friend and hideously aware that Gai was well within earshot of this little scene, Kakashi increased the pace as the other Chuunin vanished down another winding corridor and out of sight. A classroom door lurked to the left of the passage, accompanied by a beautiful painting of a Japanese garden, complete with ornate bridge and carp pool. He burst through just in time to see Ebisu slip into an adjacent chamber and a heavy, reinforced sliding door slam shut right in front of his face. There was a profoundly final series of clicks as several blots were drawn and a swift clicking of heels that faded out of earshot.  
  
Masurao clattered to a halt behind him, closely followed by Gai. "Oh wonderful Kakashi. In accordance to popular belief, your tardiness IS contagious", moaned Masurao in annoyance, "we're late for the first part of the Jounin exam and it's more than partly your fault!"  
  
"Hai, hai, hai, I know. There has to be some other way in".  
  
"No! This examination room is completely sealed to prevent cheating, even the walls are sound-proofed!"  
  
Kakashi eyed the other Chuunin in surprise, "and you know this how?"  
  
Gai stuck his nose in the air arrogantly, "I may not be a genius, but unlike you, rival-Kakashi, I go to great lengths to understand the situation of my surroundings!"  
  
"Hai", agreed Masurao, "it was mentioned on the exam brochure".  
  
Gai blushed furiously and stalked out of the room and continued down the corridor, "there is, however, a small skylight above the examination room. We may be able to attract attention from the examiners from it!"  
  
Kakashi shrugged, "may as well try it. I honestly can't be bothered waiting another year for this".  
  
It had hardly taken them five minutes to become hopelessly lost in the dusty upper levels of the otherwise magnificent temple that the exam was being conducted in. Masurao gave a shriek of horror as part of the fragile wooden floor crumbled beneath him, lunging for the side of the filthy room before he could plunge into the gloom below. A great cloud of ancient dust rose to greet him, accenting his black hair with fawn highlights and sending him wheezing into a corner.  
  
Kakashi shook his head in disdain, "remind me again why we listened to you, Gai? I should have followed the better of my instincts and returned to trying to pass myself off as eighteen years old in the bookshop".  
  
Gai laughed, striking the dreaded pose that was spoilt somewhat by the mass of cobwebs dulling the impressive reflective shine of his hair. "Hah! Unbeknownst to you, rival-Kakashi, we are in fact above the exam room right now! All we have to do is open the skylight and drop gracefully into the class!"  
  
"If only it were that easy", grumbled Masurao, stumbling to his feet and joining the other two at the edge of the small, grubby glass window, "what kind of a moron puts a skylight leading to an attic anyway? Doesn't it defeat the initial purpose of it being a skylight?!"  
  
Kakashi was about to respond with an equally observant remark when the floor beneath him gave a nasty creak. He looked at Gai and Masurao in horror, their own expressions confirming his fears. With a decisive ripping, tearing, the rotted floor spit right from under the resigned Kakashi's feet and sent him plunging into the row of neatly lined desks below.  
  
Then ensued several screams, a couple of stray curses and enough dust to merit a box of smoke bombs.  
  
Kakashi blinked, remaining exceptionally casual for someone who has just plunged through a disintegrated ceiling and onto a pile that seemed to comprise predominantly of sharp desk and flailing student. The fact that the room had been in utter silence as the occupants listened to an intensely-important lecture did not help matters. Kakashi noted that none of his limbs appeared to be broken, twisted or maimed as of yet. That was a bonus at least. The desk was adding a distinctive pain factor, but as far he could tell from all the dust that was all.  
  
As the dust cleared, Kakashi made the observation that indeed, the desk was not all he had landed on. He was also in a rather curious position; one that had prevented him from breaking any limbs, but one that could result in arranging to have his limbs broken at a later date. Years of martial arts training had included the best methods of landing from high falls, predominantly in the form of bracing his knees and allowing his hands and arms to take a little of the momentum. Unfortunately, the desk, or more accurately, the CHAIR of the student had interrupted his decent.  
  
The chair was now flat-backed against the floor, his hands correctly spaced on the opposite sides of the chair-back. It seemed that his knees had reorganised themselves on either sides of the chair, or once again more accurately, either sides of the student. Honestly, he'd almost flattened the same girl in the space of less than ten minutes in one day... what are the odds?  
  
Upon closer observation, these were definitely not fortunate odds. The girl did not seem to think that this was so lucky at all. She looked positively furious. Did she recognise him? Unlikely... mind you, the mask and the hair and the general klutziness of the whole situation was a little incriminating. What does a valued ANBU member and an advanced Chuunin say to redeem himself in this kind of situation?  
  
"Uhh... haven't we met before?"  
  
The resounding slap had every male student cringing in his desk. From where they were peering over the ledge that Kakashi had inadvertently created during his unanticipated descent, Masurao and Gai shuddered and debated on where or not to return to the relative safety of the dust or risk going down there themselves.  
  
Kakashi's expression was exceptionally shocked for someone who should have been smart enough not to expect any other reaction. A perfect scarlet hand- imprint was forming on his right cheek, or at least the part not covered by mask. In hindsight, he was rather impressed that not only had she managed to strike him so effectively at such close range, but also the fact she was able to strike him at all given the pinned nature of her arms.  
  
The crimson-haired Special Jounin buried her face in her hands. Give me bloodthirsty assassins, a sealed room carpeted with poisonous reptiles or any number, any random assortment of murderous ninja; but why, oh why did it have to be managing a class of these Chuunin morons?  
  
*  
  
wild-filly: please review! If you have any questions regarding characters or plotline, feel free to ask... ^_^ 


	3. Chapter 2

Wild-filly: Once again, many thanks to everyone who has reviewed ^_^ And thanks to Curlybear in particular who pointed out that Kakashi was 14 when the Fourth Hokage died. My feeble excuse for this? Well, I went around a whole range of different sites, most of which offering me different ages for him, so I took a guess at 28. This therefore had him as 16 when the Fourth died, so I apologise if my calculations are a little out of proportion to others ^_^;; I tried! Coincidently my month calculations are a little off as well and the moral of this story is? Even in fanfiction, wild-filly sucks at maths in all shapes and forms – end of story -_- and also the beginning! *gags at appalling attempt at cheap humour* I also apologise for any grammar or spelling mistakes, as I am more or less too absent minded to find them all during editing ^_^;;  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Naruto cast, which in itself is an unfortunate thing, however the fact that I am a highschool student writing fanfiction in her spare time is perhaps even more unfortunate ^_^;;  
  
***  
  
Okumen Gokurakuchou: Chapter 2  
  
***  
  
The room was now deathly silent, save only for the constant scratchings of the Chuunin all attempting to remember the theory skills they had more or less forgotten the instant they had graduated as Genin. Kakashi blinked, pencil flickering uncertainly between his fingers. He had reached the train of thought process that requires the thinker to chew absentmindedly on the end of their pencil while staring hard at the ceiling with the chair teetering a scarce millimetre from flipping over backwards before the brainwave could come. Damn this stupid mask for ruining the prized concentration method.  
  
Not that he, Hatake Kakashi was having troubles with a mere exam paper that is. A genius does not have such meaningless issues. On the bright side, if he were having mentally painful moments with the paper, then it couldn't compare to the agony Gai was going through.  
  
Cheered up considerably by this thought, Kakashi resumed his untidy scrawling over the otherwise perfect exam sheet. Just because he had the right answers didn't mean the page had to be legible. For all the marker knew Kakashi could have written in a completely different language about what he did on his holidays. Still, it would be a nice change from the standard, monotonous printing that was taught in the Academy. Everyone had to have some way of self-expression, even if it was as unoriginal as handwriting.  
  
Glancing sideways from his now-complete paper, he noted the intense look of concentration writ over Masurao's face as he scribbled furiously over the page. That was Masurao for you; be tried his absolute hardest at everything to get to the level he was at. The fact that most of the equations he was pencilling out would bear little relevance to the question and more or less lead him to the right answer through sheer coincidence was another matter. His strategy for exam papers was more or less the same as his fighting technique, but perhaps not as affective.  
  
Ebisu was also scribbling at a terrific rate, even though he was probably the exact opposite of Masurao. He would use minimum effort and was more than likely to come to the wrong answer and know exactly how he got there. Theory work came easily enough, but as far as fighting styles went, he had the theory perfect but the moves themselves were nothing special. All in all, he was destined for a life of teaching techniques rather than preforming them himself – perfect for such a teacher's pet. Asuma was also finished, staring around the room with a bored expression rivalling Kakashi's own. The two caught eyes and Asuma smirked, Kakashi's own grin more or less hidden.  
  
The grin faded slightly as the twitch of a familiar black and white ponytail caught his eye. The Chuunin he kept unintentionally flattening still appeared to be in a state of pent-up fury and was currently venting it on the poor, unsuspecting paper. Vivid black strokes cut deep into the page, dark enough for Kakashi even at his distance to tell that she was gouging the correct answers into the page and possibly even the battered desk beneath. It was a shame she loathed him so; she wasn't that objectionable to look at, even with the nasty death glare she kept shooting him.  
  
He was so busy musing over how much she must hate him and how this was directly proportional to how much Gai hated him that his ears barely registered the sharp order from the front of the room.  
  
"Enough time. Pencils down; pass the papers to the front".  
  
Kakashi debated writing a note on his paper addressed the anonymous victim of his own clumsiness, but decided against it at the last moment in case a different person took the message as their's. That would certainly not be a pleasant situation. Better to wait until he was in a nice crowded area to apologise; that way she wouldn't be able to murder him in front of so many witnesses.... In theory.  
  
With a sigh he tossed his paper forward to the scarred ninja in front and clambered out of his chair, wincing momentarily at the raising bruises gained from the unexpected detour through the ceiling. The Jounin up the front ignored the Chuunin as they filed out the door, murmured conversations filling the corridor as they escaped the unpleasant atmosphere that accumulates in an exam room. As Kakashi attempted to skirt past her desk unnoticed, her head jerked up and golden eyes fixed him with an intensely irritated sneer.  
  
"You. Wait here".  
  
Sighing and sitting down on the nearest desktop, Masurao automatically stood next to his best friend. The Jounin sent the same mocking sneer at him, "door not good enough for you either? Wait with the other idiot. And where has the other one gone?"  
  
"I am here, Sensei".  
  
Kakashi turned slightly to see Gai standing beside the sadistic teacher, arms tightly pinned to his sides and back curved in an awkward half-bow. He's almost as bad as Ebisu at times.... Almost. She snickered maliciously, short locks momentarily appearing to be a rather disturbing blood red and perfectly fitting the for mood. "The Hokage will speak to you soon. Have fun explaining this one to him".  
  
With that parting comment, she swaggered out of the room as three pairs of eyes followed her ever moment in increasing levels of dislike.  
  
"I hope the Kyubi stands on her someday", muttered Masurao bitterly, squeaking his shoes impatiently against the polished wood.  
  
Kakashi shook his head, "I wouldn't wish any demon that kind of misfortune".  
  
Gai's face contorted; an inner debate on whether or not to stand up for the obnoxious sensei or maintain the fact that even he thought she was obnoxious raged in a mental tug-of-war. No. He couldn't fall to rival- Kakashi's level. Only Kakashi was the one deemed obnoxious in Gai's book, as well as several other less-flattering names.  
  
"It is better that your own original sensei is the one to reprimand us! He will know how to give us suitable punishment according to our past histories!"  
  
Masurao couldn't cope; he lurched sideways in such haste to get away from Gai that he forgot all about Kakashi and the tentatively balanced desk located directly sideways from himself.  
  
"What the-?!"  
  
Kakashi, Masurao and the desk clattered to the ground, sprawled in varying stages of lack of dignity, yet mercifully spared the embarrassment of Kakashi's previous position. Gai doubled over with laughter as the two Chuunin cursed loudly and attempted to untangle themselves from the legs of the desk, just in time for the Fourth to enter the class.  
  
The troubled, pensive shadows over the Hokage's face scattered momentarily as he took in the utter patheticness of the scenario. "What on earth are you three doing? First I hear you've smashed a hole in the ceiling and managed to harass a girl you've never met and now you're brawling with the furniture?!"  
  
Looking feebly up from where he was gingerly nursing a new bruise on his hip, Masurao gave a pathetic sigh, "we try to do you proud Sensei, we really do; but the general surroundings are out to get us!"  
  
Kakashi nodded, "Hai, it's a conspiracy to prevent us from passing the Jounin exam".  
  
Gai shook his head dismally at the other ninja, "I humbly beg your forgiveness Hokage-sama and ask that I may try my best to pass the Jounin exam to prove your forgiveness well bestowed".  
  
All their words were met with silence. Gai glanced up from his crouching bow, Kakashi and Masurao leaping to their feet to face their Sensei, whose own head was ducked from view. The adult's shoulders shook, trembling under their crisp ceremonial robes. Kakashi stared in disbelief; they couldn't have disgraced their Sensei to the point of tears, could they?  
  
Masurao obviously thought the same thing, slowly stepping forward, brown eyes filled with concern and apprehension, "Hokage-Sensei? We're not really that paranoid, honest!" He stretched out a hand, about to place it on his mentor's shoulder when the man's hand caught his own. The Hokage looked up with a grin, blue eyes partially closed in humour.  
  
"Look, just try to leave the buildings in tact ok? You did the right thing in that you didn't abandon the mission and have successfully completed it, with minimal damage to innocent bystanders". He threw a mocking glance at Kakashi who bent his eyes in a cheerful smirk in response.  
  
He sighed, shaking his head and returning his gaze to the smooth floorboards, "I won't be here to witness the next parts of the exam. The Kyubi is moving closer to Konoha and I really cannot afford to be out here any longer. Please... do your village proud and try to be a little more serious".  
  
With one last smile, the Hokage swept out of the room, white robes flickering out behind him, down the passage and out of sight of his two pupils and their "comrade".  
  
"Well", said Masurao after a moment's pause, "hadn't we better go find the rest of the class?"  
  
*  
  
"The written theory test was the most straight-forward of all your tasks, however things will no longer be as easy as simply walking into a classroom and writing out a couple of easy answers".  
  
"And judging from our past record, this does not bode well", growled Masurao for Kakashi, Gai, Ebisu and Asuma to hear. They all snorted appreciatively, drawing an irritated glance from the heavy-set Jounin male standing in the centre of the raised platform. There was now a distinct gap where the Fourth Hokage had previously stood, filling Kakashi with a slight sense of foreboding even just looking at the space.  
  
The Jounin cleared his throat irritably, "The next part of the exam will have a time limit of one month. Those who cannot complete the task assigned will be failed from the exam".  
  
Masurao face-faulted in shock, Kakashi raising one eyebrow, "not the easiest one in history, ne? What do you suppose it is; teaching Gai how to wash his hair?"  
  
The ninja in question lunged for Kakashi's throat, eyes taking on the unusual hue of fire that they had a tendency to do whenever he was particularly annoyed, "DAMN IT, RIVAL-KAKASHI, YOU'D KILL FOR HAIR THIS GLOSSY!"  
  
Before either of the Chuunin could land a strike or even give their friends sufficient time to start choking with laughter, a kunai skimmed through the air, cutting a shallow gash in Gai's cheek and slicing a lock of silver hair from the nimbly-dodging Kakashi. Gai froze in mid leap, skidding to straight standstill with watery eyes as tiny droplets of blood oozed from the wound, "Sensei! Forgive me! I was wrong to be overly prideful and ignorant!"  
  
The Jounin ignored Gai's self-rebuttal and snarled, "you brats will listen to what I have to say or not only will you fail the exam, you'll never be allowed to take it again! Your village doesn't need immature oxygen drains like yourselves to protect it". His iron-grey eyes locked on Kakashi's, filled with pure hatred. Kakashi stared calmly back. He thought he'd recognised this man from somewhere; not the face, but definitely the voice. Members of the ANBU didn't necessarily know all the other members of the assassination team. It helped you not become too attached to anyone, or too full of information if you were captured.  
  
"Understand?!"  
  
"Hai, Sensei", murmured Kakashi placidly. ANBU training was especially useful for zoning out all the nasty little insults implied and focussing purely on the task at hand... more or less in his case. Gai slunk back to where he had been standing, shaking with emotion. Kakashi debated feeling sorry for him; Gai wasn't as used to being verbally abused as he was, no matter how weakly.  
  
Breath heaving in furious gasps, the Jounin calmed before returning to the speech, "You will be divided into groups of five to begin with, then you will each be given a section of a code to memorise. That is all you need to know for now".  
  
Ebisu shuffled apprehensively, "I'm not so sure I like the tone of his voice in the "for now" part". Masurao nodded stiffly in agreement, "to repeat myself - this also doesn't bode well... oh my, look who it is".  
  
Turning to where the depressed Chuunin was staring dismally, Kakashi saw the well-mannered woman with crimson hair stalking towards them with an indecently sadistic smirk on her face. Despite being more than a foot shorter than himself, he was more than a little wary of her.  
  
"You three; the ones who fell through the ceiling. This way."  
  
With a mournful glance toward Asuma and Ebisu, Masurao sighed and followed dejectedly at the heels of the Special Jounin as she strode off towards an opened door in the side of the elegant building. Kakashi and Gai followed, purposely keeping out of one another's airspace, which for Kakashi's preference, would have been several continents in distance but would have to suffice as about fifty metres for now.  
  
Ducking through the low doorframe, he was met for yet another unpleasant surprise for the day.  
  
"Kakashi-kun! I haven't seen you since you were nine!"  
  
A strawberry-blonde whirlwind erupted from a corner of the room and launched itself around Kakashi's shoulders, her delighted laughter filling the bemused room.  
  
Partially dying from oxygen deprivation and embarrassment, Kakashi tentatively craned one arm up to pat the shrieking Chuunin on the forehead. "Hai, hai, hai, it's nice to see you too Akiraka-chan".  
  
She released him, oak-brown eyes sparkling with mischief, "did you and Masurao-kun plan that entrance? Sensei was going to come and tell you off afterwards, but I didn't know whether he'd fail you, especially remembering what you did to his house on Halloween when we were Genin..."  
  
Kakashi coughed hurriedly, attempting to mask this comment from hearing as Masurao grinned with a smirk that bore an evil resemblance to their Jounin teacher for the exam.  
  
"Do you still have the photos of Kakashi's surprise birthday?"  
  
Akiraka's eyes widened in recognition and she fell into a fresh fit of giggles as Masurao snorted in glee. Kakashi glared at them both. Which one to kill first and in what horrendously brutal manner? Curse Akiraka, her stupid camera and stupid blackmail tendencies...  
  
Gai brightened, "what photographs are these?"  
  
Akiraka collapsed into a further fit of laughter, "have... you...ever, wondered what seven year-old Kakashi would be like on a sugar high?" The laughter took over again, infecting Masurao while Gai grinned slightly and Kakashi fumed at the hideousness of the world and all its inhabitants.  
  
The Special Jounin had left the room, returning with yet another piece in the horrible puzzle that was becoming Kakashi's existence. A piece of puzzle with black and white hair and suspect homicidal feelings towards a person who meant a lot to him. Namely himself.  
  
Akiraka leapt up from the floor, regaining control of herself with unnatural speed, "hey Kurotaka-chan! I didn't think you'd be with us!"  
  
The one dubbed Kurotaka smiled faintly, "neither did I Akiraka-san", deep blue eyes trawled over the room's inhabitants, freezing on Kakashi's face, "neither did I".  
  
Akiraka draped an arm over Kurotaka's shoulder, "we trained at the same times completely by coincidence, have you met these three Kuro-chan? These are Maito Gai, Irai Masurao and Hatake Kakashi".  
  
"I've seen them before. May have bumped into them couple of times."  
  
A dry cough caught the group's attention.  
  
"If you're quite finished re-establishing the fact that your lives are tiringly predictable, may I continue the instructions?"  
  
She was met with cold silence that more or less could be taken as an agreement.  
  
"Good". She seized a pile of scrolls lying cluttered on a nearby desk, handing one to each Chuunin before returning to her stance in front of the dusty blackboard.  
  
"Each of the scrolls contains a code that has to be deciphered and the scrolls then pieced together in order to show you what you must do in order to pass the exam".  
  
Gai's eyes shone, "we will not rest until we have broken this code! We will finish the exam before three days have passed!"  
  
The Jounin snickered, "so sure are you? There is another part to this exam".  
  
Kakashi sighed mentally – prepare for the weight to be tied on your shoulder before starting the obstacle course.  
  
"You will be knocked unconscious and taken to random locations within any of the participating countries. Your task is to find out where you are, relocate your team, crack the code, piece it together and then carry out the instructions written. All within the time of a month. Try to survive. Some of the places you may be left aren't all that pleasant".  
  
A white blur flew at him from behind at ridiculous speed. He never had a chance.  
  
No wonder she had looked so happy to be their group leader.  
  
*  
  
wild-filly: ^_^ next chapter up soon and once again my thanks to everyone who reviews or has reviewed! 


	4. Chapter 3

Wild-filly: Thank you to Artemis*Obscure, Cyn Wraith, Lady Light, Great Saiyaman, DarkDemonMaster, nobody, Broken Reflection, Karu-san and Reius Devirix for their comments and support ^_^ It's nice to hear that so many people are enjoying this fic – I may even do some artwork to go with it, since the chibi-Kakashi-on-sugar-high idea has sparked some of my own interest... I'll keep you posted ^_^  
  
Disclaimer: Don't own...unless I can invent a time machine, go back in time and kidnap all of Kishimoto's plans it is unlikely that I ever will. In others words, not a chance – especially if my results in all scientific fields are anything to go by -_-;;  
  
***  
  
Okumen Gokurakuchou: Chapter 3  
  
***  
  
Stars swum dreamily before his eyes, merrily intruding into the thick, swirling fog that was his self-conscious. What had happened? Something about a ceiling, a scroll, sugar and bad hair colours... Of course; the Jounin exam! Now why on earth had those things reminded him of it...  
  
It slowly began to appear that the stars weren't cheerful figments of his imagination after all. They where in fact rays of sunlight reminding him that it was still daylight, and therefore no time to be lying sprawled out on the ground sleeping. Presuming he was even on ground. Kakashi gingerly pried open one eye and hurriedly shut it again. Ground would have been a welcome option rather than this current station.  
  
Well, it was dusty, solid and more or less ground-like for now... but if his geography skills and the vague feeling of unnatural heat under the ground were anything to go by then he had obviously done something that seriously offended someone up there.  
  
What kind of a teacher dumps an unconscious student on the rim of a partially-dormant volcano?! The key word here being partially.  
  
Groaning inwardly and cursing how the world seemed to have launched its own personal vendetta against him and his exploits, Kakashi forced both reluctant eyes open and sprang lightly to his feet, swaying slightly as the charming parting-gift of a colossal headache announced its presence. Growling some fairly inventive curses under his breath, Kakashi noted the surroundings from his impressive vantage point. Nothing but nothing as far as the eye could see with snow-capped trees in it. Wonderful. Not a visible town or mountain range to serve as landmark; apart from the rumbling one he was standing on.  
  
Rumbling? Oh damn.  
  
Glancing dejectedly over his shoulder at the yawning crater that was the mouth of the volcano, he was not at all surprised to see the ash in the depths vibrating or catch the faint hint of sulphurous fumes on the breeze. This day was becoming very predictable, not to mention potentially lethal.  
  
Lunging down the rocky side of the volcano, icy igneous rocks scattering before his uncontrollable downwards rampage, Kakashi calmly noted the fact that perhaps less speed would have been a better choice. Gravity and the human instinct of getting as far away as possible from a possible mountain of fire had influenced his choice in the matter somewhat. Now all it would take was one loose stone to send him flying down the mountainside and into a crumpled pile at the bottom of the slope. As the rumbling became a roar, the rest of his senses swiftly began to whole-heartedly agree with the human ones. Whose bright idea was it to have volcanos this high?  
  
A stray rock faltered in his path, caught by the arch of his sprinting foot, rotating the ankle in an unnatural way to most normal ankles. The Chuunin's eyes widened in pain and annoyance as his movement became one more forward - flying down the mountainside. Now why hadn't he seen this coming? Tucking his shoulders and numbly feeling like a very tried basketball, he attempted to zone out each thudding pain as he rolled unceremoniously down, tossed high over each rocky ledge. Shutting his eyes tightly, he delved deep into the great inner Chakra reserves as his momentum threatened to dash his bones to shards with each clattering descent. Finally his eyes opened and he vanished; billowing smoke, volcanic ash and the resulting rock slide the only evidence he had been there at all.  
  
Spread-eagled at the slushy base of the volcano, Kakashi groaned aloud this time; every bone and limb handing in their notes of resignation and each pausing to throw a rock at his brain. Honestly... why couldn't he have thought of that sooner? What was the point of becoming one of the Leaf's best; a trained assassin; and then forgetting a simple thing like Kawarimi no Jutsu? Very embarrassing. At least nothing felt broken though, just very bruised. His pride will take a while to heal, certainly.  
  
Rolling onto his stomach and pushing himself out of the grubby snow, Kakashi glared bleakly at the vast forest. Better find a water source of some kind before trying to set out and find the others. Staggering painfully into the oh-so-inviting treeline, the bedraggled Chuunin began his careful search for any useful tracks left by animals. Not that it was likely for any animals of any measurable intelligence to be hanging around a cantankerous volcano. Except for humans, of course. After several hundred metres of carefully stalking through the dense, green undergrowth, he noted the presence of a small herd of deer.  
  
The shy herbivores did not catch his scent, nervously foraging in the sparse vegetation, eyes wide and ears flickering for the slightest hint of danger. Kakashi quietly observed them. There was no need for him to catch one, not yet at least. There were three does with their yearling youngsters as well as an older stag. Such a herd would not stray far from a stable water outlet. Leaping agilely from the frosty underbrush and onto the thick braches of a nearby evergreen tree, he ran ninja-style through the towering forest canopy; nothing more than a shadow flitting to the next branch.  
  
Cool leaves fluttered in his face, smaller braches snagging, tearing at his hair and jacket, but still he pressed on. He could hear a rushing, splashing sound not too far up ahead. Water, certainly; but not necessarily water that was safe to use; especially if pure water sources were hard to come by in this part of the world. Some nations had barely enough drinkable water for themselves, let alone a hopelessly-lost stranger. Judging by the evergreen surroundings it was unlikely that this was the case here, but one could never be too careful.  
  
There. A faint glimmer about seventy metres ahead. He silently slid to a halt, pressing his body close against the rough bark, entwining with the shadow. It was only a little stream, but the soft sand around it was rutted with tracks of humans and animals. It should then at least be safe to drink. The clear stream glittered invitingly, catching the afternoon sunlight and scattering the shards of captured silver against the lightly- frosted jade plant-life. He hesitated then sprang, dropping gently to the ground with the grace previously spared from all other descents. He strode swiftly over to the shallow bank, glanced around cautiously and then cupped one hand into the glassy liquid, drawing a handful to his face and then swiftly peeling back part of the mask, taking a sip and hurriedly replacing the fabric.  
  
It was a slow technique, but one that would ensure that not only did he spot any attackers in range, but they wouldn't see his face and launch an attack of a different kind. What kind of a ninja could afford to have a face like his?! Only one with finely-honed survival skills...  
  
Thirst eventually slaked, he retreated a little way from the spring and into the passable shelter of an aged bare oak tree, sinking to the ground with a casual sigh. Lazily watching the clouds sail by overhead, Kakashi mused quietly to himself as to the fate of his teammates. Well, he was most likely somewhere in Earth country. It was similar to Konoha, apart from the unanticipated appearance of a volcano. Where could the others be? Not that finding some of them would be a problem.  
  
Reaching back to his hip pouch, he released the flap and heaved the contents out onto the grass. Besides his concealed kunai and shuriken, he also had two scrolls, one of which was the examination code, some stray currency, a bookshop gift certificate and for some obscure reason, a travelling sewing kit. Blinking in slight confusion as to the reasoning behind the sewing kit, Kakashi scooped the rest of his meagre possessions back into the pack, apart from the second scroll, remembering with a sudden pang that nobody would know to water his plant back home. Oh the tragedy... Returning his mind back to the task at hand, he clasped the scroll firmly in both hands, focussing on concentrating his Chakra as twining rivers of scarlet symbols spilled from both ends of the scroll.  
  
"Summoning no Jutsu!"  
  
And please not Pakkun this time, he prayed inwardly. There was a brief burst of smoke, screening the scroll from view. Kakashi turned away slightly, squinting into the murk for any sign of just who'd come. As the haze of smoke cleared he looked down, and down again. Curled up on the muddy snow, was a familiar little brown dog with a blue cape and cheerful grin on his canine face.  
  
"Hey Kakashi! You may be the worst excuse for a human I've ever met but it's nice to see you again!"  
  
Kakashi grimaced, "If the name and species were changed I may be able to say the same thing... provided I were drunk".  
  
The chocolate-brown pug yawned widely, "so what have trouble have you gotten us into this time?" He stretched expressively, chest swelling with self-importance.  
  
Kakashi rolled his eyes, "it's part of the Jounin exam. I need you to help me track down Masurao and Akiraka, as well as couple of others".  
  
Pakkun paused, a canine look of concentration fixing itself on his face, "Masurao? Isn't he the one that was there when you first tried to summon one of us?"  
  
He nodded warily, "hai, he was the one standing nearby".  
  
Pakkun snorted, snickering to himself, "he was so scared of me...me? The kawaii little doggy?"  
  
Stumbling to his feet, Kakashi glared down at the kawaii little doggy, "how was I to know that he was hopelessly allergic to dogs? He had to spend a day in hospital after you bit him!"  
  
"Hai, I know. Serves him right too".  
  
"And your justification for this?"  
  
"He doesn't like dogs"  
  
"Hai, hai, hai ok. Can we focus on the task at hand please?"  
  
"Sure... what is it again?"  
  
"... Could you track Masurao and Akiraka?"  
  
Pakkun shook his head, "I need scent or something in order to track anyone down Kakashi. You should know that by now".  
  
The Chuunin sighed. This had certainly complicated matters slightly. He'd have to search the old-fashioned way. Oh how tedious...  
  
Pakkun strolled over to the gangling ninja, "while I'm here, you may as well scratch my back". Kakashi hesitated, glowered and absentmindedly lowered a hand to the dog's head, rubbing his ears as he pondered over his next action. Namely finding four disorientated ninja in the middle of winter; two of whom bore him no well feelings.  
  
Pakkun's pink tongue lolled out amiably, eyes closed in bliss. His nose twitched, eyes opening a crack. Reluctantly he retracted his tongue, "hey Kakashi?"  
  
"Hmmm?"  
  
"You aren't looking for anyone apart from the coward and the blackmail- girl, are you?"  
  
"Yeah, actually I was going to look for Gai and this homicidal chick I keep bumping into. Why do you ask?"  
  
"I don't smell the guy with the personified eyebrows, but you haven't literally been bumping into this weird chick have you?"  
  
"Hai. I fell through a ceiling onto her".  
  
"It's obvious".  
  
"You have her scent?"  
  
"Yep, and she's not that far away from here either".  
  
He didn't know what to think. Apart from the fact that not only had the teacher knocked him out, dumped him on the edge of a growling volcano, but had also placed him within killing-range of the person who hated him most in the world (with the exception of Gai) his life couldn't get much worse. Hang on, Pakkun was here wasn't he? It was worse.  
  
"Are we going or what then?"  
  
"Hai, we're going". Stuffing the scroll back into his pack, Pakkun bounded ahead eagerly, crunching through the thin layer of icy snow and floundering down deeper drifts lurking innocently beneath the deceptively even surface. Kakashi sighed again and took off at a leisurely jog after him, hoping perhaps this time he wouldn't flatten her on sight.  
  
*  
  
"You've lost the scent"  
  
"No I haven't"  
  
"We've been past this tree three times already"  
  
"How could you know that? There are plenty of trees here"  
  
"I was sick of carrying my hip pouch so I left it here"  
  
"... if you're so smart then why don't you find her yourself?"  
  
"Trust me, the instant I stop looking I'll find her"  
  
"That kind of girl, huh?"  
  
"And what would you know about that anyway?! Hang on, no please don't answer that"  
  
Kakashi stopped, staring up at the darkening sky. Sunset had graced the sky with a few tangerine streaks earlier, but now midnight blue was encroaching over the edges of the flaming colours. Kurotaka, or whatever her name was, had obviously been here earlier but wasn't any more.  
  
"Let's stop for now and get something to eat. The smell of smoke may catch her attention".  
  
"That and you're hungry"  
  
"Hey, I'm a dog, I'm supposed to be hungry all the time".  
  
"Hai, hai, hai, we'll stop".  
  
*  
  
Pakkun romped out of the scant vegetation, tail wagging with pride and mouth full. From where he was stoking the new embers of the small campfire, Kakashi glanced up at the dog, "not much food here, I take it?"  
  
Pakkun dropped the gaunt rabbit, "enough for me I'd reckon. Couple of deer too. Wouldn't try catching them though; something's already tried".  
  
Kakashi nodded; Kurotaka was definitely nearby. "you didn't catch her scent again?"  
  
"Huh?" Pakkun didn't even look up from stuffing his face.  
  
"Never mind". Not a chance of him thinking of anything other than dinner.  
  
Gazing up at the dark abyss that was the sky, black eyes lazily following the trail of smoke twisting like a grey ribbon before the midnight blue atmosphere, he watched a pale ghost of a bird flit through the haze, looping around the trail. Kakashi blinked; it was unusual to see a bird so small out at night. Even from down here on the snowy turf he could tell it wasn't a bird of prey.  
  
Winging back the way it had come, his suspicions mounted. He glanced into the dense shadows in which direction the bird had gone, scanning the gloom critically for the slightest movement. As Pakkun continued his noisy gorging curled by the fire, Kakashi silently loosed three kunai from his leg holster, gently weighting them in his fingers. Their cool, solid bulk brought a little comfort to the apprehension of what may be beyond. He was not afraid of whatever it was, but he still didn't appreciate being stalked. It was so rude to leap out at people without a subtle warning, especially if you were wielding a knife.  
  
"Pakkun..."  
  
"....wha?"  
  
"I hope you're not too attached to your dinner"  
  
"Meaning what?"  
  
"We may have to move shortly"  
  
A scrubby bush behind him shuddered, dumping a pile of snow onto the cleared ground. Kakashi jerked around, impressed despite himself. He drew the kunai into the open, fingers itching to draw the ANBU katana strapped to his back. As the figure stepped dignifiedly into the open, his fingers tightened around the kunai despite the fact he recognised her.  
  
"Kurotaka-san?"  
  
"Hatake Kakashi"  
  
"You were avoiding us deliberately?"  
  
"Now why on earth would I want to do a thing like that?" She gazed at him in an expression of mock innocence, "and we get along so well too!" The expression contorted to one more familiar; contemptuous and sarcastic.  
  
"Of course we do. In case you didn't realise, that was also sarcasm".  
  
"Really? I would never have guessed".  
  
Pakkun yawned irritably, ambling a little way from the picked carcass, "alright enough already; we have all established that you hate each others' guts and everything surrounding them, can we move onto a different topic please?"  
  
Kurotaka's head jerked in surprise, long white-tipped ponytail flicking as she did so, "it talks?"  
  
"Unfortunately", muttered Kakashi, wondering why he kept noticing her hair flicking.  
  
She gazed wistfully at the sleepy dog, "I wish Guntou could speak".  
  
"Guntou?"  
  
A white bird blossomed from the shadows, swooping over the campfire and gently hovering, perching on Kurotaka's outstretched hand. She smoothed the bird's glossy feathers lovingly, as the bird gave an unflattering squawk. Kakashi stared in disbelief.  
  
"I love birds more than anything else. Guntou is the being I trust more than anyone else in the world. All birds are amazing, noble, graceful creatures".  
  
Kakashi continued to stare. She finally desisted from crooning into her pet's ear to glare at him, "what? You don't like birds?"  
  
He shook his head, "no, no, I like birds. I agree that they are quite amazing but..."  
  
"What?!"  
  
"... he's a seagull?!"  
  
*  
  
wild-filly: will update shortly with any luck ^_^ and just for the record, Kakashi does in fact own a pot plant – its name is Mr Ukki according to a site I found... we learn something new everyday ^_^;;  
  
Please review! 


	5. Chapter 4

Wild-filly: Once again, thanks to everyone who has reviewed including the people who last reviewed; Karu-san, DarkDemonMaster and Bana the Random; I really appreciate it ^_^  
  
On a different note, I have successfully the completed the chibi-Kakashi-on- sugar-high picture ^_^ If anyone would like to view it, feel free to email me and I will send it to you – unfortunately my computer resents being told to cooperate with sites like devientart.com and refuses to upload my drawings onto something easier to use -_-  
  
Disclaimer: Much to my disappointment, I do not own any of the Naruto cast and no one as of yet has seen fit to donate me the ownership rights *sniff*  
  
***  
  
Okumen Gokurakuchou: Chapter 4  
  
***  
  
Kurotaka's midnight blue eyes bored into Kakashi's own, wordlessly expressing at great length her utter contempt for him.  
  
"How observant of you to notice".  
  
Guntou squawked again at the incredulous ANBU member, as though he had understood the insult implied. Kakashi shook himself mentally, still trying not to laugh.  
  
"Forgive me if I offended you in any way, but I would not have thought of seagulls as the most magnificent of birdlife".  
  
She sneered, expression only softening as she soothed her offended bird, "that would show just how little you understand of the practicality of Guntou's race. Not only is he able to survive on a very flexible diet, but he can easily blend into his surroundings and go places without being remarked on".  
  
"I see. More useful than a messenger hawk".  
  
"Much more".  
  
Well, they were agreeing on something at least. Perhaps attempted murder was moving slightly further from the possibility scale now. Kakashi replaced his weapons, tucking the kunai back into their leg holster, yet still keeping one eye on Kurotaka the whole time. The fact that she did not appear to have a weapon in hand did not encourage him any.  
  
Pakkun yawned widely, "ok, now that you two don't appear to be at each others' throats so much I'm going to sleep ok? If I hear one yell or curse from either of you I may have to separate you for various reasons". The little dog gave Kakashi a look that the ninja did not like at all before curling up tighter and shutting his eyes.  
  
Kurotaka looked at the dog in disbelief, glancing back at Kakashi in disgust. Obviously she had caught the same message and was as horrified as he at the suggestion. A twinge of annoyance flickered in the back of his head; surely he didn't appear that appalling to her?  
  
Shoving the thought aside, Kakashi turned and began to make his way through the trees, "I'll return later".  
  
There was no response behind him as Kurotaka began to set up a place near the fire, well away from were Kakashi had left his hip pouch.  
  
After raiding the forest of what could possibly pass for dinner, Kakashi strolled back into the campsite to find that he was the only one awake. Perhaps he had been gone a while. The natural resources of the forest had not been particularly generous as first anticipated. Moving quietly so not to disturb the stupid seagull, he regained his place by his pouch and leant against the trunk of a nearby tree. Not the most comfortable way to sleep in history, but if he was not going to think that he may need a sleeping bag for the Jounin exam then that was his problem. Yawning, he glanced over at Kurotaka. It appeared that she was not in the same situation and was quite comfortable in her own black sleeping bag.  
  
Stupid Pakkun. It was bad enough that HE was the one who had answered the summoning, but did he have to include unwanted commentary?!  
  
*  
  
Morning didn't come quickly enough for Kakashi's liking. Groaning as his muscles reminded him that they still weren't happy with him, he brushed the pine needles from his jacket and staggered to his feet. There was no sign of Kurotaka.  
  
The seagull however, was still there. It looked down its beak snootily at Kakashi and returned to picking at Pakkun's dinner. As the ninja tried to remember whether or not he had left anything for breakfast he distantly heard the frenzied yelpings of Pakkun.  
  
"YOU LITTLE PARASITE, GET THE HELL AWAY FROM MY FOOD!"  
  
Ah, sharing came so easily to the kawaii little doggy.  
  
Guntou's only response was to peck the enraged pug on the nose and continue his feasting, causing Pakkun to yelp even louder and take a more impolite edge in his threats before launching at the bird. A flurry of feathers and fur tore around the campsite, with the odds being against Pakkun as the seagull perched on his back and tormented him mercilessly. Kakashi watched the scene as he searched for his own leftovers with an expression of sleepy amusement.  
  
"KAKASHI! HELP ME!"  
  
The Chuunin glanced up from where he had finally located the leftover rabbit from last night and began finishing it off with no great enjoyment, "you're doing fine on your own. Try going for the beak; that should be his weak spot".  
  
"Oh REALLY funny Kakashi, absolutely hilarious... what the f-"  
  
Pakkun's response was cut off abruptly as Guntou seized his cape in his beak before taking off. Even though the seagull wasn't strong enough to actually lift the dog, he was successful in dragging him several feet into the fire's cool ashes before letting go, flying higher and squawking in triumph. Sneezing in disgust, Pakkun scrambled out of the ex-campfire, covered with ash and significantly discoloured. He shot Kakashi a look of deepest loathing as he shook himself and returned to his own rabbit, or at least what Guntou had left him of it.  
  
Kakashi shook his head, chuckling with dry humour before dusting himself off and heading towards the stream. This time it was his turn to be knocked over as Kurotaka suddenly emerged from behind a pine tree at a swift walk. She almost glared at him, but checked herself as she realised it was her fault.  
  
"I'm sorry". She almost spat the words.  
  
"No problem", answered Kakashi from where he lay sprawled in a clump of spiky dead vegetation. He watched her stalk off, but noticed that she had seemed a little anxious that she hadn't hurt him. Well... maybe that could be taken a couple of ways. He rolled out of the bushes and continued on to the water source, pondering over the logic behind his life in general.  
  
As he returned to the campsite, Kurotaka was steadfastly not making eye contact with him while Pakkun also maintained his sulk. The only one to acknowledge his presence was Guntou in the form of the noble bird's melodious screech. Deciding against breaking the silence straight away for favour of the fact that no one was insulting or threatening him at the moment, Kakashi quietly retrieved his belongings and turned to Kurotaka.  
  
"Who shall we look for first?"  
  
Pakkun momentarily broke out of his sulk in order to take over Kurotaka's standard job of glaring at him. "I can't get the scent of anyone else, Kakashi. How often must I tell you?!"  
  
"We don't need to find them specifically at the moment, if we could just find a town or something to get our bearings it would be fine".  
  
Kurotaka nodded, jerking her head towards the east, "I believe there may be people beyond this forest. Some trees have been cleared not too far off". Guntou crowed and leapt into the air, greying wings fluttering higher into the clear morning sky.  
  
Kurotaka smiled tightly, "he'll scan the area for anything nearby".  
  
Kakashi stared, blinking slightly in disbelief, "you obviously have a very good level of communication with him".  
  
She turned to him, face lightening as she smiled, "yeah, I suppose so".  
  
It was so nice to see her smile without an accompanying threat or sadistic edge to the grin. Unusual, but nice. He decided not to push his luck and ruin what little harmony had emerged by trying to be sociable. Facing east to where Guntou had soared, Kakashi crashed off through the scrub, skidding slightly on the icy surface as Pakkun moodily trailed after him. Kurotaka regarded him strangely for a moment and then followed with considerably more grace over the patches of ice.  
  
As minutes trawled into hours, it was observed that the town proved to be located further away than either of them had anticipated beforehand.  
  
Guntou wheeled overhead, occasionally squawking to Kurotaka as they veered off course. Kakashi allowed her to lead in silence, despairing slightly at the amount of respect she had from that bird. He was currently stuck carrying Pakkun, who even now still wasn't speaking to him. It was just as well that the bird was leading them; he'd never seen such a symmetrical forest in all his years of training, not even at the dead of night during some ANBU mission. Kurotaka glanced over her shoulder back at him, white- tipped ponytail flying over one shoulder in the process.  
  
"The town's about two kilometres or so away now, care to pick up the pace?"  
  
"Very well"  
  
She glared at him for no apparent reason; ah, everything was finally back to normal. Darting to the left, she nimbly scaled an aged pine tree without a backward glance and took off through the canopy. Kakashi nudged Pakkun awake, "you may want to get down now".  
  
The little dog shifted sleepily, forgetting his sulk, "how come?"  
  
"I'm about to start running; I doubt you'll find it easy to stay on".  
  
"Why can't you make an effort to run more smoothly?"  
  
"...Because I'll have to go slower and that rather defeats the purpose of trying to go faster".  
  
"If you're such a great ninja, then take it upon yourself one day to learn how to run more smoothly", grumbled Pakkun as he leapt out of Kakashi's arms, lightly landing on the snow and following Kurotaka's path up and across the trees. Kakashi grinned despite himself and sprang from the ground, Chakra guiding his feet to invisible footholds and holding him there as he adopted a leaping, lunging gait. Not as fast as sprinting, but with this many trees, sprinting would not be very practical. It would only take one blink or distraction for you to run full-tilt into an unexpected pine tree.  
  
Pakkun bounded directly behind Kurotaka, swerving outwards so he could run alongside. Stupid dog trying to gain favour. Kakashi chuckled quietly; better him than me be one who takes the next lot of abuse from her. He held a distinct respect for Kurotaka; her attitude probably reflected her upbringing. If she wanted to constantly take a defensive edge around him, then that was obviously something she had discovered as the best way.  
  
Working in the ANBU for so long had taught him a lot about people – not only about their strengths and weaknesses, but also about the barest of human instinct when under pressure. Assassination does not bring out best character traits in people, nor does it leave the best memories, but it trains your mind to respond to the slightest human behaviour. The "target" of each mission will exhibit different behaviours when confronted; each reflecting the nature of their life experiences.  
  
Even though she may have a slight reason to dislike him, her actions left him to conclude that Kurotaka's experiences around other people had seldom been pleasurable. Ok, maybe she has more than a slight reason to dislike him, but still...  
  
An echoing squawk from Guntou jolted Kakashi from his pensive state back to the repetitive reality of leaping from branch to branch, leaves stinging his face. Pakkun had dropped back to run alongside him instead. Kakashi wondered whether or not the dog had chosen to do this of his own accord or had been "discouraged"; what a pity it would be if he had missed the scene. Kurotaka was beginning to slow the pace as Guntou winged his way lower to the canopy line. Their body language was clear enough – they were almost there.  
  
At last a flash of irregularity in the forest seized his attention; a scrubby clearing giving way to a smooth white wall, painstakingly carved by expert stonemasons. Kakashi and Kurotaka eased to a halt on the same branch, critically examining the area.  
  
"Definitely in Earth country. This variety of marble is only mined here".  
  
Kakashi nodded, accepting Kurotaka's judgement along with his earlier suspicions. Pakkun sat down, scratching one ear absentmindedly, "well there shouldn't be too many hostile ninja here. I reckon from the smell this is one of the smaller towns".  
  
"Hai?" Kurotaka glanced at Pakkun before turning to Kakashi, "all the same, we had better be cautious and not lose track of each other".  
  
Mentally cursing as the chances of her not losing her temper at him again fell below zero, Kakashi nodded and avoided eye contact, dropping silently from the tree and wandering cautiously over to the wall. He stared down its curving length, measuring the distance to the nearest gate visually. Since there only appeared to be one entrance, this was one of today's few easier decisions.  
  
*  
  
"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!"  
  
The furious scream rattled painfully in Kakashi's ears. Glaring at Kurotaka reproachfully while rubbing the ear closest to verbal abuse, the ANBU member sighed, "listen, we have to fit in with the townspeople as best we can to avoid suspicion. If we don't interact and utilise the general facilities as the locals do then we may come under attack".  
  
"Utilising the public facilities does NOT mean going to the nearest bar with the intention of becoming mindlessly drunk!"  
  
Kakashi turned his glare on Pakkun, who was standing partially behind Kurotaka's feet with a sheepish look on his face. He might have guessed that the little mutt would prove traitorous just to win favour in some chick's eye.  
  
"Remind me never to tell you where I'm going again, Pakkun".  
  
Pakkun wagged his tail innocently, "but you have to tell me in case we get split up and therefore, I also have to tell Kurotaka-san!"  
  
"The next time I see a bonfire, I'm throwing the summoning scroll on it, do you hear?!"  
  
"Oh quit bickering, both of you", growled Kurotaka, pacing the corridor outside their rooms. The innkeeper had been somewhat irritated by the presence of Pakkun and Guntou, but a couple of handfuls of coinage from the depths of Kakashi's and Kurotaka's hip pouches had quashed some of the disdain. It had been Kurotaka's turn to view the proceedings with disdain after the innkeeper suggested a room with only one bed for a reduced price as well as a suggestive glance at the two. Kakashi had to bite the fabric of his mask to stop himself from choking with laughter and then grasp Kurotaka by the sleeve of her short kimono to stop her from choking someone else.  
  
"I promise I won't get too drunk. I'll just assimilate into society enough to gain a little information on our exact whereabouts, that's all. I swear, if I get embarrassingly drunk, I will make it up to you".  
  
A glint flitted through her hard blue eyes, "in what way will you make it up to me?"  
  
"uhh..." he hadn't planned this part. "I'll..." Think Kakashi, think... a real incentive not to get drunk. "I'll teach you how to summon birds".  
  
The glint took on a different edge as Kurotaka's entire expression softened, delight radiating from every pore, "you could teach me to do that?" She was positively overjoyed, eyes wide with adoration. Kakashi began to fear that she may actually hug him in her temporary forgetting of her contempt for him.  
  
Oh damn... why did he have to say a stupid thing like that? Now he'd be stuck drinking water for the rest of the exam. How in hell's name was he supposed to survive without alcohol for a month?  
  
"Hai, hai, hai, but only if I get embarrassingly drunk, remember". Hastily stalking away down the passage, Kakashi cursed his existence and the logic behind it once again  
  
Finding a bar wasn't hard. Neither was finding a nice, inconspicuous corner complete with informative drunkard. Neither was being accepted by the general population. In fact, the friendliness of the people was what was causing the problem. Strangers didn't come very often to this town, and the inhabitants were both welcoming and curious as to where Kakashi was from.  
  
Part of their hospitality included the liberal offerings of sake. Very good sake in fact. Shame it took him so long to find out it was so great – about seven rounds later. At which point, pretty much everything seemed great.  
  
"Heya...what was your name again?" Kakashi slurred into his shallow glass, head swinging uncertainly to face the comatose guy next to him.  
  
"huh? Wha? I wasn't me... I swear...". With that inspirational outburst Kakashi's nearest drinking partner slumped from the bench and clattered to the unforgiving wooden floorboards, muttering slightly and twitching.  
  
That was odd... especially the way the floor was swaying. Oh hang on, it wasn't swaying, that was just the walls wandering around knocking the floor out of the way. Well that explains everything...  
  
This time he dragged his head in the vague direction of the bartender, "where am I?"  
  
The bartender sighed, replacing Kakashi's empty glasses with a bill, "you're still in Shiroishi, and I think you should go home now".  
  
"Shiroishi?"  
  
"Shiroishi town, Earth Country, about 100 miles from the coast".  
  
"Coast?"  
  
The man sighed; this guy was pretty out of it. "Come on friend, let's just stop for now. It's two in the morning".  
  
"Hmm?" The words floated through Kakashi's alcohol-soaked head and failed to elaborate on any meaning for the benefit of his brain. His feet reported that they were being pushed in some direction. He was going somewhere? He hadn't even asked his feet to move and yet they were... what a marvellous world of technology they lived in these days. The floor shuddered nastily, yet miraculously his feet maintained going forwards. Mind you, it seemed like he was being shoved more than anything. Why would he be being shoved? What had he done to offend? He hadn't gotten outrageously drunk and hung around in some bar until early hours of the morning; oh hang on...  
  
Gritting his teeth, the barman gave the lanky Chuunin one last shove, successfully stubbing Kakashi's toe on the doorframe of the bar and tipping him down a short flight of stairs onto the street. He shook his head in slight disgust – at least the guy had brought enough money with him to pay for what drinks hadn't been handed to him and refrained from breaking the furniture, but he'd never met anyone who was so uncoordinated as far as falling down stairs goes. All the same, it had been a lot harder than usual to push him.  
  
Tangled in an impressive knot that would have shamed a circus performer, Kakashi came, once again, to the conclusion that life sucked. His head was spinning, eyes refusing to focus as the new floor continued to spiral in a most distressing fashion and his limbs maintained themselves in the position of some sort of reef knot. He was, more or less, not having a good time. The Chuunin groaned in agony and self-pity; now he knew why he had stuck to following the drinking age limit for so long. Why hadn't anyone warned him that hangovers weren't all that hurt after consuming copious amounts of alcohol?  
  
Chilling early morning breezes snaking through the town only added to the patheticness of the situation, as the paved street offered no shelter or warmth from the chill of mid-winter. At least it wasn't snowing... although he really shouldn't tempt fate. Silence gripped the street as its inhabitants slept peacefully. Kakashi had been the last drunk to either be shoved out or rolled under the furniture to wake up and pay later. He was completely alone; cold, tired, lost and hopelessly tangled in his own limbs at the foot of a flight of stairs with a brain resembling a sake-soaked sponge.  
  
In the hazy mist that was Kakashi's dozing self-conscious, a soft, clipping sound punctured the silence. It almost sounded like rubber-soled shoes. He dimly attempted to focus on the sound, but the sheer thought of attempting sent his brain into a deep slumber. His eyes momentarily hovered, unblinking at the person approaching him. Charcoal black pupils met midnight blue, so dark they were almost black, before sliding to the back of his head.  
  
In the icy street lit only by the moonlight and distant stars, a young black haired woman with glowing white tips muttered darkly to herself as she slung a passed-out silver haired ninja over her shoulder. Staggering down the street back where she had come, only the tips of her ponytail and the man's shock of silver were visible. A soft voice trailed through the chilled air, harshly accompanied by her laboured breathing as the speaker struggled to balance the moaning young man on her back.  
  
"If you don't teach me that summoning jutsu tomorrow, I'm going to make you wish you had never been born."  
  
*  
  
wild-filly: ^_^ sorry this one took so long to update, I promise the next chapter will be up sooner! 


	6. Chapter 5

Wild-filly: ^_^ More thanks to all of the wonderful people who have reviewed – this chapter, thanks go to Lady Light, Karu-san, Curlybear and Copy-Nin-Kakashi, I really appreciate it guys! Ok, either way, back to the fic – I apologise for any slacking in updates... school, life etc etc -_-;;  
  
Disclaimer: Don't own, therefore don't sue... I do own the ocs, but that's nothing worth broadcasting,  
  
***  
  
Okumen Gokurakuchou: Chapter 4  
  
***  
  
Dawn intruded on the fuzzy atmosphere that was Kakashi's mind, sneaking up on his unsuspecting eyes and sending him burrowing deeper into his blanket for relief. For some reason, the sun appeared indecently bright today... had air particles always been so hard? Everything either hurt or wasn't responding.  
  
"Good morning!"  
  
Another indecently bright thing entered the room, accompanied by a resounding clatter as Kurotaka shoved open the sliding wooden door and stalked side, bearing a breakfast tray and cheerful grin.  
  
"Just leave me to my agony in peace would you?" moaned Kakashi, head grating with every word. He shoved his head into the comforting darkness of the blanket, trying to ignore the continued thumping of Kurotaka setting up his tray and arranging the room. He could have sworn she was an expert at silent manoeuvres... maybe this was just another sadistic ploy to further his regret of last night's (morning's?) alcohol consumption.  
  
She sat down heavily on the end of the bed, chuckling to herself as a piercing squawking filled the room. Oh great. The stupid seagull – just what he needed.  
  
"Come on Kakashi, you promised to teach me how to summon birds!"  
  
In the stuffy gloom that was surrounding Kakashi's head, he rolled his eyes and instantly regretted it as his headache flared angrily. Why on earth had he said that?!  
  
"Not today Kurotaka-san, I'm not feeling very well"  
  
The cheerful snickering faded and even partially smothered by blanket, Kakashi could feel himself being glared at.  
  
"You made the deal, now you live up to it! You promised to teach me how to summon birds if you got absolutely smashed at that stupid bar, and I'm ready to learn NOW".  
  
This time it was his turn to make a face at her, though blissfully hidden by the moth-eaten duvet, "I do not believe that I was embarrassingly drunk in comparison to some of the other people there".  
  
An incredulous snort echoed through the room, "do you have any idea what you were doing?"  
  
He winced, "no?"  
  
"You were sprawled in a heap on the street, tied in knots, completely out of it and on the way back here you were singing this weird little song over and over again".  
  
Horrified, he queried, "I was singing?"  
  
"Yes. Very badly as well I might add."  
  
"I never sing!"  
  
"You must have REALLY been out of it then".  
  
Kakashi growled, stirring from the depths of his soft fortress to glare at his chirpy opponent. As daylight once again greeted him, he cursed his choice and dove back into the relative safety of the stuffy darkness. If he had to train her, maybe he could take the blanket with him and wrap it around his head for protection from both the glaring sun and glaring pupil.  
  
"Fine. But if Gai hears one word about the singing, then there's no deal, ok?"  
  
"Deal". Her eyes shining with anticipation.  
  
"Now would you kindly leave so I can get dressed?"  
  
From where he was rocking back and forth on his little chair behind the front desk, mulling over a cup of scalding green tea, the landlord was startled to hear a deafening shriek from the upstairs level. Accidentally upsetting his tea onto a pile of carefully arranged papers, he swore as a young woman came streaking down the stairs, fully dressed and clutching her eyes as though in pain. A seagull came screeching after her, fighting to keep up as she bolted out of the building and down the street.  
  
He muttered darkly to himself, plucking at the ruined records with a murderous expression. Why couldn't some people just handle their relationships in peace?  
  
*  
  
"Summoning creatures is a jutsu that requires an exceptional level of Chakra power as well as control. If you do not have enough power, then there is no chance of you to actually summon anything, regardless of the expertise of your technique".  
  
Kurotaka nodded, ponytail jerking in agreement. Kakashi noted with some amusement that she seemed to have recovered from her fright very well. He had in fact been fully dressed the whole time; he just wondered what her reaction would be.  
  
"Do I need to get a tattoo or scroll or something?"  
  
He shook his head, "not necessarily. For some creatures you may, but scrolls and the like are mostly just for show. All it really takes is a little blood and a whole lot of Chakra".  
  
Head tilted to one side, perplexed, "how am I supposed to use my blood if I don't have a scroll or tattoo to focus it on?" she queried.  
  
Kakashi responded by drawing his own scroll, "this is a copy of the scroll given to all who summon dogs. Dogs are fairly popular as summons, since, with the exception of Pakkun, they are often very useful. I don't know, nor have I heard of anyone, who summons birds, so you will have to pioneer this for yourself. If you wish, you can make your own scroll".  
  
She grinned, "what do I do first?"  
  
Reaching out to Guntou, the bird glared down its beak at Kakashi's hand before imperiously stepping onto it. Kakashi calmly stroked the bird's smoky feathers, "first, you will need to reach deeply into your Chakra and bring as much of it as you can to the surface".  
  
Continuing to pet the bird, Kakashi surveyed Kurotaka thoughtfully as she slid into a fighting stance, eyes closed and fingers clenched into the dragon seal. The grass at her feet swayed, as though caught by a sudden breeze. He could feel her Chakra uncoiling, exploding from within. Not only was she stealthful, but also had power to back it up. It surprised him that she was not an ANBU member.  
  
As her Chakra soared, her eyes opened again, face flushed with exhilaration as she met his gaze. "Now what?"  
  
He smiled benignly, "bite your finger. Not very hard, but just hard enough for it to bleed a little".  
  
Without hesitation, she sank her teeth deep into her thumb. Perhaps a little too deep in her enthusiasm. Blood oozed from the wound and she returned her eyes to his, "and?"  
  
Kakashi ran his hand down the crooning seagull's back, scratching deep into the roots of his feathers as the bird partially closed his eyes in bliss. Smile never wavering, Kakashi toyed with a little clump of three feathers and suddenly yanked. With a shriek of pain and indignation, Guntou took flight, leaving behind the feathers.  
  
Kurotaka glared at the cheerful Kakashi, now surveying the circling, squawking bird with a decidedly vengeful look on his face. "Was that entirely necessary?"  
  
Remembering that she was more or less fired up for battle, Kakashi chose to apologise rather than risk immediate assault, "gomen, but it was". He threw the feathers in the air to her. Snatching them before they hit the ground out of reflex, Kurotaka stared down at them in understanding.  
  
"Use them as though they were a seal; smear your blood on each, put them on the ground and them push your Chakra into them!"  
  
Obediently, she stained each glossy feather with a dab of blood before placing them on the turf outside the town wall. Stretching out her fingers, she pressed her hand firmly against the ground, fingers biting into the soil as she formed a cage around the feathers. Chakra bubbled from within, pouring into the feathers, earth and blood.  
  
From where he was standing a respectful distance away, Kakashi noticed something flicker in her eyes. It was only for a moment, and then it was gone as soon as it had come. He blinked, eyes hardening on Kurotaka's face still frozen with effort. If that was what he thought it was, then she was hiding something from him and just about everyone else she knew.  
  
Frustrated by the lack of result, she gave a roar of determination and poured even more energy into the ground, breath heaving as her strength trickled away. Kakashi called, "think of something that makes you emotional! Find power in a strong emotion!" Gritting his teeth as she gave another cry and pushed even more Chakra out of her body, he regretted his choice of words. Yes, there was the fact that he was encouraging her to drain herself to exhaustion, but what bothered him most of all was the fact that he could just hear Gai saying the exact same thing.  
  
She lifted one tired eye to his, sweat trickling down her brow and across the bridge of her nose, "what am I doing wrong?"  
  
He shook his head, "nothing! You just need to pull out the greater powers within your Chakra; try harder!"  
  
She glared at him, "what the hell do you think I'm doing?!"  
  
"You're not trying hard enough! Come on, either you're weak or you can't do it; your choice".  
  
If possible the glare took on a more violet edge. He began to wonder whether or not goading her into delving deeper for Chakra was a wise decision after all. The possibility of her ditching the training exercise for favour of beating him up was highly likely.  
  
Eyes locked on his, waves of electric blue light flickered around her, hair streaming upwards as though caught in a violent updraft. Blue flames licked around the edges of the feathers, spouting trails of symbols of the same blue and blood red. Her eyelids sank, legs quivering and sweat beading all the more heavily on her forehead but still her eyes were pinned on Kakashi's; as though her contempt for him was all that was keeping her on her feet.  
  
Biting deep into his own lip, Kakashi stared at the enlarging dome that was building at her feet. Hang in there just a little longer... He tasted blood as one dark blue eye closed, the other locked on his. Her breath was coming in ragged gasps, but the Chakra continued flowing out at the same rate. How much longer could she keep this up?  
  
At last the Chakra flow stopped and she glanced down at her hand, surprised at the swelling blue dome she had formed. Dazed, she stared at Kakashi, wearily forming her words, "but... I still have more Chakra to use!"  
  
Kakashi grinned in triumph, "no more is necessary"  
  
Staring back down at the dome, the electric light fragmented, bursting outwards in a dramatic shower of flame. Blinded by the extreme light, Kurotaka threw her hands over her eyes, Kakashi groaning as his hangover reminded him of its presence.  
  
Rising, twisting out of the depths; the little blue dome proved to be only the tip of the iceberg. A phenomenal pale falcon, a thousand times the size of the largest falcon alive, erupted from the ground, wings flared for balance. With a deafening scream it raised its beak to the heavens, sending nearby animals fleeing for cover, yet none of the nesting birds stirred.  
  
Kakashi nearly, but not quite, fitted into the bracket as one of those animals and doggedly stood his ground, head pounding and little bright lights flashing before his protesting eyes. The massive falcon stretched, turning its head around to face its albino back and astounded passenger. Kurotaka blinked in astonishment, "who are you?"  
  
The great bird gave a mocking cry, ruffling its feathers and jolting Kurotaka from her position astride its back as though the bird were some horrendously deformed horse.  
  
"Who am I, little human? I believe that the question here is who are YOU to summon me?"  
  
Kurotaka blinked, still weary from her great loss of Chakra, "me? I'm... Yumenimo Kurotaka. And you are...?"  
  
The falcon gave a screech of laughter, "Yumenimo Kurotaka? Do you think I care who you are? My question was why did you think you had the right summon me!"  
  
Kurotaka glared, a portion of the old attitude returning, "I can summon whoever I want to summon if I am capable of doing so!"  
  
The bird smirked, preening one huge snowy wing, "is that so? Just because you are able to summon me, doesn't mean that I will obey you".  
  
Kurotaka blinked, "I never intended for you to obey me. What right have I to do that?"  
  
The falcon blinked, obviously thrown off balance, "you didn't?"  
  
She shook her head, "not as such. I just wanted to meet you".  
  
Delicately folding the wing back into its original place, the great bird surveyed her with frank curiosity, "no one's ever tried that tact before."  
  
Kakashi stirred from where he was staring up at the little meeting from the ground, feeling more than a little left out and slightly apprehensive of the temperamental bird and its passenger. "You have been summoned before?"  
  
Looking down its hooked beak at the still-hung-over Kakashi, he was reminded very much of a super sized version of Guntou, "and you are?"  
  
"Alive and human as far as I know. Otherwise known as Hatake Kakashi".  
  
The bird somehow contrived to smirk, "very good. No, this is not the first time I have been summoned. Many people over the years have tried and failed, and occasionally tried and succeeded. None of them last long though".  
  
"No?"  
  
"Eating someone is fairly permanent, you know"  
  
"Ah... forget I asked".  
  
Kurotaka looked aghast at her summon, "you eat people?"  
  
"Only if they really offend me. Murder on the digestion if you get what I mean".  
  
She shook her head in mock amazement, "I have no idea... do you resent me summoning you? I promise that I will only do it if it is entirely necessary, since I don't want to waste anyone's time".  
  
The falcon glared down at her, "yes, I do resent being summoned. However in this case, I shall make an exception. Do you have any idea how rare it is for me to actually be summoned and conversed with? More often than not people just drag me out of my dimension and then either start barking orders or congratulating themselves, hence my disgust towards humans in general".  
  
Turning its gaze to Kakashi, it blinked one great red eye, "you also summon creatures, do you not?"  
  
He nodded gingerly, headache taking preference for his attention over paying due respects to this homicidal bird.  
  
With a detersive snort, the falcon sneered, "a dog-caller? I might have guessed. Will you ensure that this human is instructed properly on when is an appropriate time to summon me?"  
  
Regarding the bird with a mixture of surprise and consideration, Kakashi responded, "hai, I will do what I can" .  
  
Drawing itself up to its full regal height, the falcon regarded them both with its intense stare, "Should you have any requirement for my help, I will offer it now, otherwise I shall take my leave".  
  
Kurotaka started, "are you capable of tracking people?"  
  
The bird eased the proud stance slightly to roll one eye at her, "do I look like a dog?"  
  
She shook her head violently, "no! Not at all! I just meant would you be able to find someone by sight?"  
  
Puffing out its milky feathers nobly, the falcon stated arrogantly, "I have the best sight of any bird in existence or animal. With an accurate description I can identify anything".  
  
She grinned, "I have a description for you then that should be easy to find. Are you willing to accept?"  
  
With a sigh of resignation, the bird crouched, lowering Kurotaka to ground level, where she leapt off and turned to face him. "We're looking for a human male of our age and slightly taller than Kakashi, however he has a very distinctive hairstyle in the shape of a bowl. He stands out very easily because of it and also his somewhat extravagant manner; could you see if you could find him?"  
  
Sneering contemptuously, the falcon crowed, "I doubt there is a human alive that could hide from me, let alone one that you claim is easy to identify. I shall find you after I find him. You want me to bring him to you?"  
  
Kakashi sighed, "if it's entirely necessary..."  
  
Kurotaka shot a sidelong glare at him, "thank you very much, sir. May we refer to you by a name of some kind?"  
  
Wings flexing and legs bending, the massive bird leapt into the afternoon sky, pale wings spreading like great fans in the air. As it soared into the distance, a powerful voice called back to them, "I am the Great Emperor of all Birds, Furi-Damu"  
  
As the white giant slid into the distance, neither ninja said a word until he had vanished from view.  
  
Kakashi glanced out of the corner of his eye at Kurotaka, "I don't know whether to congratulate you or curse you".  
  
She blinked wearily, "why?"  
  
"You mastered the move in one lesson, gained a powerful ally and made a great step in completing the exam"  
  
"And?"  
  
"You asked him to find Gai first"  
  
She rolled her eyes melodramatically, smoothing her tangled ponytail back into its dark blue tie and repositioning the ornamental silver chopsticks pinned there. "Hey, I just thought we would be better off suggesting someone who was easy to find, that's all".  
  
"You don't classify Masurao or Akiraka as easy?"  
  
"Their personalities aren't as strident"  
  
"You say it like it's a bad thing"  
  
"It's not a bad thing! It's just not as easy to locate".  
  
Deciding to give up arguing for now, Kakashi shook his head and regretted it once again, clutching the sides of his head in agony as his brain seemed to rattle in from its normal resting place. Kurotaka watched him with amusement, "still hung-over?"  
  
"Shut up"  
  
"Whatever for? You were so keen to argue just a moment ago, what happened to that?"  
  
"You're an incredibly sadistic person, did you know?"  
  
She blinked at him in mock surprise, "me? Sadistic? What on earth are you talking about?"  
  
Unable to take anymore of this abuse, Kakashi started to limp back towards the gate, head firmly wedged between his hands. Oh anything for a cup of coffee and a darkened room free of this nuisance and her bloody seagull.  
  
"There you two are! I must've slept in and missed you training!"  
  
Why oh why hadn't Pakkun disappeared in a puff of smoke yet?  
  
"Hey! Kakashi! You still hung-over? How much did you drink?!"  
  
"That's none of your business", he growled through gritted teeth. One needed to be in a certain mood in order to deal with Pakkun without feeling the urge to commit murder, and now was not the perfect example.  
  
A canine grin writ all over his evilly delighted face, Pakkun opened his mouth to continue tormenting his hapless ninja associate when the laughter suddenly died from his eyes, sprinting past Kakashi. Kakashi turned curiously, wondering what had distracted the pug and how he could arrange for it to happen more often, when he saw Kurotaka lying sprawled on the ground.  
  
At first he was convinced it was simply overuse of Chakra and she would just need to sleep it off, but a thin trail of blood trickling from her forehead convinced him otherwise. Shoving his headache aside, Kakashi's senses heightened to their greatest, eyes dancing alert for any sign of their attacker. Pakkun sniffed at Kurotaka's face, "she's out of it, but not seriously".  
  
Kakashi nodded, scrutinizing the area and cursing his state of health even more. Just because this wasn't a hidden ninja village didn't mean that there weren't ninja in the vicinity. The summoning must have drawn out some of the more undesirable of the locals from their hiding places.  
  
A clump of shrubs on the forest border trembled, releasing a volley of deadly flying shuriken. Dodging nimbly aside, Kakashi twisted and sent his own assault of kunai into the source as the blades of his attacker cut deeply into the solid wall behind him. Whoever was out there meant business.  
  
Leaping forward, he made it his priority to shield Kurotaka from any further attack even as he continued to stare into the thick undergrowth.  
  
"Imagine seeing you here, Hatake Kakashi".  
  
Staring in disbelief into the shadowy evergreen, Kakashi tightened into his accustomed fighting stance, alert for the next move of the unwelcomed visitor.  
  
*  
  
wild-filly: apologies for the cliffhanger... will update as soon as I can ^_^ please review! 


	7. Chapter 6

Wild-filly: Huge apologies for the delay – semester examinations reared their ugly heads and I was confined to attempting to batter knowledge into my head for five weeks ;; Forgive me?  
  
Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue. Slight violence ahead, nothing very dramatic – just be warned if you aren't into that kind of thing   
  
Okumen Gokurakuchou: Chapter 7  
  
Eyes transfixed on the source of the concealed figure before him, Kakashi inwardly groaned as his headache soared to previously unexplored levels of pain. An ambush couldn't have come at a worse time. But who was their attacker anyway? Did he owe some random ninja money or something?!  
  
The dense evergreen shrubbery parted, revealing an older male, face pitted with scars of battle and eyes dancing with an unpleasant degree of sadistic pleasure. This was no one he had ever seen before.  
  
Kakashi glared, boring both eyes into those of their attacker's, yet still on the alert for assault from another angle, "how did you come by that name?"  
  
The other ninja chuckled, but there was no humour in the sound. "How did I come by that name? How do you think I came by that name?"  
  
One silver eyebrow twitched. Mind games?  
  
"Enough playing around. You know a name of mine and you have attacked myself and an associate of mine. State your business".  
  
Subtleties during attack in the midst of a hangover do not come easily, but either way an answer was just as unlikely no matter the approach. The other ninja completely ignored the statement, instead drawing another kunai from the depths of his faded grey gi, the dull blade reflecting only slight traces of the powerful mid-afternoon sunlight.  
  
"My business is my own."  
  
Kakashi hastily drew his katana as the kunai was thrown towards him. With one easy swing of the razor-sharp sword, the smaller blade shot off to one side, as did the ninja who threw it, feinting to one side and then attacking from the right. Another swing of the ANBU weapon cut short the advance from the other ninja, but was not enough to deter him. A flash of steel registered too late in Kakashi's eyes as the nameless opponent swiftly drew and struck with another concealed kunai.  
  
A slow tickle of blood prickled its way down the side of the silver-haired Chuunin's forehead, dripping down one eyelid and continuing its path off his pale cheekbone. Inwardly he cursed himself. Careless! He surged forward, blinking the blood from his vision as he sought to make up the ground and respect lost from his attacker.  
  
From where she was sprawled uncomfortably on the bedraggled turf, Kurotaka bit back a groan as she shook her head muzzily, numbly pondering over the reason behind her sudden detour to the ground. Fingers clumsily patrolled her own forehead, drawing back as they became sticky with blood. Ah; that would explain it. But the wound on her forehead wouldn't have been enough to send her down like that alone... perhaps she had been caught on the back of the head as well. It would certainly cover the reason behind the formidable headache spreading indiscriminately through her skull.  
  
One dark blue eye flickered open, focussing on the scene that was before her. Hatake was fighting someone. She had been attacked? Her?! What was worse, she had been caught off guard in front of the last person she wanted to appear incompetent to... how embarrassing.  
  
Kakashi slid one eye back towards where Kurotaka was lying, vulnerable to companions his own opponent may have with him. He could detect her awakening; honed senses picking up the steadying of her breathing and the slight motions of her hands – senses essential in assassination, particularly in telling the difference between the unconscious and the faking. A vicious upwards slice from a serrated handguard swiftly returned his attentions back to the grey-garbed fighter; this guy was exceptional with his blades, which seemed to blossom from his arms as required. Not only that, he moved with unnatural fluidity and ease with every weapon as though they were his own limbs.  
  
In a shower of fiery sparks, katana and handguard caught; locked in a battle of strength as both ninja pushed their weight against one another, in hope of forcing the other to yield. Kakashi gritted his teeth in concentration; one move at the wrong moment would result in either a decrease in his status in this match or potential disembowelment. He thrust all the power he could spare into the lethal blade, holding the eyes of his opponent at bay; the other man must not anticipate this next move.  
  
The grey ninja grinned, "you're stupider than I gave you credit for". With a massive surge of energy, he made to throw Kakashi off balance and knock the katana from his grasp, but it was too late. Coal black eyes hardened and the Chuunin vanished; not Kawarmi no jutsu; but pure speed. The grin faded as Kakashi did; the stormy robed ninja losing his own balance and falling forwards as Kakashi reappeared from behind, katana drawn and ready.  
  
Kurotaka watched, face taut and expressionless as the steel sword plunged deep into the back of the falling ninja, spearing straight through his chest and spouting vivid scarlet blood. A strangled scream erupted briefly from the man's lips, before being abruptly cut off as the katana pierced his heart. Liquid crimson soaked into the bland turf, staining the rich soil as the blood pooled around the dead man and his fallen array of foreign and custom-designed weaponry.  
  
Kakashi stepped back, eyes closed and head lowered. Silently he drew the katana along the grass, wiping the blood from the blade and handle before replacing it in the sheath across his back. As Kurotaka watched him through her one exposed eye, she felt a bitter pang of sorrow well up in her throat. Taking life, even when justified at first, never feels as justified afterwards.  
  
Finally he turned his head towards her, eyes raised at last but strangely blank as though they were seeing but not comprehending. "You can walk?"  
  
"Hai". She shakily propped herself up on her elbows, gingerly drawing her knees under her body before staggering to her feet. Stars glittered in her eyes and the ground swam, almost sending her back onto the stained soil, but she steadied herself determinedly.  
  
"He caught your head as well"  
  
Kakashi raised one hand and probed his own wound without emotion, "it happens. I was careless".  
  
Kurotaka slowly walked over to where he still stood by the fallen ninja, "did you know him?"  
  
"I have never seen him in my life, but he knew my name".  
  
She shook her head, eyes fighting to stay open as the loss of Chakra and gash on her head threatened to send her back down again. "He had no reason for the attack?"  
  
"None he would mention".  
  
A silence ensued, filled only by the breeze filtering through the deep forest canopies and the surrounding wildlife going about their affairs. The once harsh sunlight was beginning to darken as the two ninja viewed the unknown Shinobi. Finally Kurotaka spoke, "There could not have been a different outcome. Either he or you would have died. It is better this way".  
  
Kakashi shook his head, "it's not that. I don't need reassurance. I would just have rather I knew his intentions. Where is Pakkun?"  
  
"I don't know. He must have vanished".  
  
A bitter laugh escaped the sullen ANBU, "how predictable. The instant the work becomes remotely difficult, he bails out".  
  
Kurotaka smiled faintly, "let's return to the inn. Your forehead looks like it needs stitches".  
  
"I doubt we would find a doctor at the inn".  
  
"Who says we need a doctor? You've got a sewing kit in your hip pouch".  
  
A combination of a choke and a laugh burst from Kakashi as a mixture of emotions and thoughts scrambled to be the first voiced, "what did you say?!"  
  
"My sewing's not that great, but I should be able to put your head back together. Do you mind a cross-stich pattern?"  
  
"Let me get this straight. Firstly, you have just offered to sew my forehead back together with some cheap cotton thread and a rusty needle. Secondly, you have just admitted that you can't sew so I am in danger of gaining a fascinating cross-stitch tattoo and thirdly, why were you were looking through my hip pouch?!"  
  
Kurotaka thoughtfully stroked her chin, eyes sliding upwards, "I thought it was a generous offer and yes, I was looking through your hip pouch. Simple curiosity really, nothing harmful".  
  
"Would you like it if I looked through your backpack?"  
  
"Actually I would. It would give me an excuse to practise my new jutsu as a means for revenge. Wouldn't that be ironic?"  
  
As the two Leaf Chuunin made their equally stiff and pained way to the town wall and staggered down the street to the inn, neither of them observed a figure surveying their ungainly process away from the battlefield. A grey- hooded male leapt nimbly from his place, skilfully concealed in a combination Genjutsu and trap arrangement. He strode easily over to the blood-soaked ground where the felled ninja lay and knelt, grey-gloved fingers fumbling at the man's neck for a pulse. For a moment he didn't move, then smiled and rose. As the sky overhead turned a vivid orange and red as the sun set, he placed a cigarette to his lips and lit it with a flare of intense Chakra.  
  
A thin curl of smoke rose through the treeline, completely unnoticed by animals and humans alike. The dry chuckle that cracked the serene forest failed to do anything other than startle a few wood pigeons from hiding.  
  
"A bit messy, but efficiently handled given the situations of both students. My scoring... an 82% pass, considering one was drunk and the other exhausted and their opponent was a mixture of Genjutsu and a specially- adapted training dummy".  
  
"Hold still, baka!"  
  
"Don't you "baka" me, you moron!"  
  
"If you held still then maybe you wouldn't need to be referred to in such a manner then!"  
  
"Hey, is it YOUR head that's getting stitched back together by the local butcher?!"  
  
"Look lady, if you try to hit me like that again, you can sew your own wound, you hear? I've got better things to be doing than standing around being abused".  
  
"Yeah, well if you gouge at my forehead like I'm a fish you're trying to gut again, I won't try; I will!"  
  
Kakashi sighed dramatically from where he was currently positioned. Fortunately for him, his own narrow dodge from a flying shuriken had only resulted in a minor scrape that would heal of it's own accord. Unfortunately for Kurotaka, she hadn't realised that her sarcastic offer may be returned, given the depth of her own injury.  
  
They were in the back room of the local butcher's shop, after the local doctor claimed that he had the same guy who gutted, stuffed and dissected the local meat market also put his patients back together. Kurotaka was sitting stiffly on a rickety wooden chair, arms clenched as Kakashi crouched behind her, forcibly pinning them back from attempted murder. The vaguely irritated butcher was standing off to one side, toying with a clean needle and unusual clear thread, awaiting his opportunity to pounce without being attacked.  
  
"Kurotaka-san, you're a Chuunin, primed to become one of Konoha's prized Genin. You can face far more terrifying things than a little surgery".  
  
"Easy for you to say since you're not the one in the chair".  
  
The butcher sighed, "if we're not done in five minutes it's over ok? I have a delivery of chickens to clean up for sale".  
  
One of Kurotaka's eyes twitched, "of course... I wouldn't want to keep you from your other patients this morning".  
  
As she closed her eyes in a dignified pout, Kakashi and the butcher exchanged a conspirital glance. The other Chuunin adjusted his grip so that both her arms were being pinned by one of his and her mouth was covered by the other, also serving to hold her head still. Makeshift medical kit brandished, the butcher lunged and hastily began the life- threatening operation.  
  
Kurotaka thrashed wildly, eyes in a death glare that Kakashi was delighted to realise, couldn't reach him from this angle.  
  
"mmf mmll mf fffm mftmmt!!"  
  
"Did you catch that?"  
  
"Uh... I think it was something along the lines of "I'll kill you, you bastards"".  
  
"Ah... I thought so".  
  
It was all over in a matter of minutes and the butcher sprang backwards out of harm's way before Kakashi released his grip.  
  
"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO THAT FOR?!"  
  
"You weren't co-operating in an action that was being undertaken purely for the benefit of your health".  
  
"WHAT KIND OF AN EXCUSE IS THAT?!"  
  
"A logical one?"  
  
Head bandaged and ponytail quivering in rage, Kurotaka stormed out of the room and out of the shop, shoving past a somewhat astonished line of customers as she escaped the embarrassing situation. Kakashi yawned, delving into his hip pouch, "so, how much do we owe you?"  
  
Quickly recovering, the butcher rapidly answered, "as much as you've got, and more. I haven't got life insurance, you know".  
  
The ninja sighed, handing over yet another fistful of his swiftly deteriorating supply of financing. At this rate he'd be living entire off the land or the landowners. "Thanks for your help anyway".  
  
Kakashi exited the storage room, debating whether or not it would be a wise idea to relocate Kurotaka, and in doing so he caught the butcher's unwelcome farewell.  
  
"You've got a pretty one there, but I'd do something to sort the attitude out if I were you".  
  
As he bolted from the scene, Kakashi was glad at least that there was one good thing that had come out of Kurotaka leaving the area early. Coupled with his involvement in the "surgery", his life span would have seriously decreased yet again after that parting comment. Now what?  
  
He stopped in the middle of the bustling market square and drew out the Jounin Exam scroll. They still had to find the others, and he still had no idea where to head. He and Kurotaka were in Shiroishi, Earth country, but that wouldn't help much at this stage unless they knew where everyone else was in relation to them. He closed his eyes pensively – what he needed, was a plan of action, some supplies and a means of transport through the country at a swift pace over all sorts of terrain.  
  
The problem? No money and no clue as to where they were supposed to be going. The bar was looking so very tempting right now...  
  
No. He jerked his eyes open again and winced at the memory. No alcohol for a little while – he'd killed off enough brain cells for this month at least.  
  
He was just debating whether he should start busking in hope of earning money by people paying him to stop when he was suddenly reunited with Kurotaka. The Kunoichi came sprinting through the square, short blue kimono flapping dramatically as she began skidding to a halt as she neared Kakashi and successfully failing. The resulting skid sent her flying right into his side and into a stall offering beaded costume jewellery.  
  
"Thieves!" shrieked the panicked stall owner, scrambling out of the wreckage and swatting at the dazed ninja duo with a twiggy broom. Kakashi peeled himself from the table and shook off a flattering collection of necklaces that had become entangled around his head and arms. Kurotaka gave a slight cough, continuing to ignore the ineffective assault of the shop-owner's broomstick.  
  
"Forgive my entrance. Furi-Damu is back".  
  
Kakashi blinked, "so soon?"  
  
"It would appear so. There aren't many birds twelve metres tall around".  
  
"I wouldn't imagine so. Well, where is he?"  
  
She coughed again, "that's the problem".  
  
Kakashi rolled his eyes. It was going to be another of those days. "Where is he?"  
  
"Perched on the roof of our hotel and pretty pissed off".  
  
"Wonderful".  
  
They both bid a hasty retreat from the square, Kakashi still shedding bracelets with every stride as a mob joined behind them in a combination of wanting to catch the "thieves" and witness the commotion going on further up town. Kurotaka ran ahead of him, loping easily around street vendors and cutting a path for the other Chuunin to follow. The mob behind them simply cut through the existing crowd like a hot knife through butter.  
  
As they neared the site of Furi-Damu's landing, the mob took on a different tone as the wings of the enormous snowy bird struck the air, a roaring screech filling the air and rattling glass bottles in shop windows. Kakashi and Kurotaka finally reached the inn only to find a veritable sea of destruction.  
  
The roof of the once large, rather ugly rectangular block of concrete was now considerably redesigned to suit the perch of an exceptionally large and obnoxious bird. Deep raking talon slashes decorated the walls and rooves of the surrounding buildings and people were fleeing the scene in terror or flocking to witness it. Brilliant red eyes scanned the astonished crowd, curved beak snapping in scarcely-contained fury.  
  
"Furi-Damu! What is wrong?" Kurotaka's voice rang out over the screams and confused murmurings.  
  
The hawk's attention instantly fixed on the young woman, "Yumenimo? The one who summoned me?" There was no lightening of his harsh stare, no sudden friendliness in recognition.  
  
Swallowing slightly, she stepped out from the crowd, "it was me, yes".  
  
A screech of rage erupted from the lungs of the great bird, sending the crowd down on their knees as their eardrums threatened to burst. Kurotaka clasped her hands to her ears and winced, while Kakashi did likewise. Guntou soared overhead, shrieking in outrage to his larger relative. Furi- Damu fixed his attentions on the squawking seagull, "be gone little parasite. My qualms are not with you". The massive falcon snapped half- heartedly at the other bird in hope of driving him off.  
  
Guntou veered away to perch on his mistress's shoulder, sneering his defiance in the way that only seagulls can. The Great Emperor of all Birds took flight, powerful wings beating the air and sending violent currents down towards the people on the ground. Guntou braced against the force, his squawks lost to the wind. Kakashi closed his eyes, focussing a little Chakra and nimbly flicking his hand into the right seal. In a burst of smoke, one of Furi-Damu's feathers reappeared where Kakashi was standing and the Chuunin materialized on the hawk's back.  
  
Kurotaka squinted up at the green and black clad figure clinging desperately onto the enraged bird's back, "have you completely taken leave of you senses?!"  
  
Furi-Damu screamed his fury, adjusting the angle of his wings and lunging into the cloudy heights, rising until he reached a peak and plunged into a vertical dive. Kakashi clung miserably onto the hawk's feathers, avoiding looking at the ground or indeed, anything that may remind him of this particularly unpleasant situation. He let the Chakra flow to his feet control most of his balance and keep him on the bird's back as he drew the katana from it's black leather sheath. Sighting the blade in the corner of one eye, the hawk gave a scream of fury and rolled in the air, plunging into another dive in hope of ridding himself of his passenger.  
  
Gritting his teeth and tightening his grip on the katana, Kakashi pushed the blade so it parted the bird's feathers and pricked the pale white skin beneath. A bead of strange lavender blood bubbled to the surface and broke, tickling over the milky feathers.  
  
"Land in the forest outside the town. I want to speak to you, not kill you".  
  
The hawk gave a shriek of contempt, "kill me? With that pathetic little knife? Never. But I shall land anyway".  
  
Behind the mask Kakashi grinned. Does the same egotistical nature and the complete inability to accept advice come with every species on the planet?  
  
Gliding over the snow-capped trees, Furi-Damu hovered briefly before settling onto a towering dead oak tree. From where he was now stationed, Kakashi could just pick out the shapes of a crowd heading towards them; confused no doubt, about his sudden translocation and riding out the insane bird. One of the truly remarkable qualities of humans is their nature to be interested in anything that frightens them or threatens their survival. Quite fascinating.  
  
Flitting though the trees ahead of the crowd was Kurotaka, Guntou struggling to keep up behind her. She reached the tree where Kakashi was debating whether or not he could get down without breaking something long before the crowd would arrive.  
  
"Furi-Damu. Please. What is wrong?"  
  
The bird gave a considerably quieter screech of contempt. "You sent me on the trail of that human, did you not?"  
  
Kurotaka nodded, "hai. Were you successful?"  
  
Sneering down his hooked beak, Furi-Damu replied, "I am successful in all of my ventures. Yes, I found the human. However, I could not convince him to return with me. I was attacked instead".  
  
Kakashi buried his face in his hands in despair, "I might have guessed. How did he react to you?"  
  
Turning his head slightly in order to view both ninja simultaneously, "I landed in the desert beside him, but he interpreted my landing as an attack and would not allow me to speak to him. When he nearly snapped one of my wings I abandoned the task."  
  
Kakashi shook his head, "I'll have to apologise for him, as much as I hate it. I promise; he is no close associate of mine".  
  
Furi-Damu's eyes flashed, "I don't care whose "associate" he is, all I care is that I was set up. Why?"  
  
Kurotaka shook her head furiously, blue eyes prickling with tears in her sincerity, "I would never have asked you to find someone who I knew would try to harm you, Furi-Damu. Gai is normally flamboyant, but seldom violent. I apologise greatly for anything that may have happened to you".  
  
The hawk shook his head, "My forgiveness is not so easily won. I suggest that you do not call upon me for any matter any time soon, as my temper has been severely tried in a short space of time. I am leaving now".  
  
"Wait!" barked Kakashi hurriedly, "where was he?"  
  
"About three hours of my flight from here. The place that you humans refer to as Wind Country. He was in a little desert town of small population".  
  
Kakashi leapt down from the hawk's back as the great bird dove down from the tree, diving towards the ground, but the ground opened to admit the bird just before he would have crashed into a crumpled heap. Deciding to chance his risks at breaking a leg, Kakashi disembarked from the towering bare tree and landed with exceptional grace for one who has just been on an intensely unenjoyable roller coaster.  
  
Kurotaka yawned, surveying the spot in the earth where the infuriated bird had vanished, "it would appear we finally have a destination".  
  
The silver-haired Chuunin didn't answer. The clump of thistles to which his landing had lead him to was proving too distracting.  
  
wild-filly: ;; once again, many apologies – I will update as soon as I can!  
  
Please review! 


	8. Chapter 7

Wild-filly: Huge thanks to Darker Magenta, Max Knight, kimpster and deon for their reviews and everybody else for continuing to read despite my writing slump ;; Range of school-related annoyances to blame etc etc etc – I won't bore you with the mindlessly infuriating monotony that is school life and if you've seen any of my other fanfics, you've already read my pitiful excuses too many times as it is.  
  
Also, I apologise sincerely to the people who have contacted me asking for the promised drawings -- Unfortunately my email server had other ideas and informed me that if I thought it was going to process all those files, then I was stupider than even it had originally thought. Well... something along those lines at least. I shall try to find other methods in my scant free time – bear with me please!  
  
Disclaimer: Don't own, never will... I do have a couple of figurines though!   
  
.............  
  
Okumen Gokurakuchou: Chapter 7  
  
.............  
  
"I am not travelling ANYWHERE by camel".  
  
"If you'd rather walk through an endless sprawl of desert sands, then by all means, go ahead. I'll turn your corpse into the Konoha mortuary if we pass nearby".  
  
"I'm serious! Anything but camels!"  
  
Kakashi turned an exasperated eye towards the stubborn Kunoichi Chuunin walking sulkily behind him. After bidding a hasty farewell to the innkeeper and seizing their belongings, the two would-be Jounin and one seagull were trudging south, looking for the border into Wind Country and arguing to pass the time.  
  
"What have you got against camels anyway?".  
  
"Nothing specific. I just prefer to make my own way without the assistance of gangling, filthy, ill-natured creatures".  
  
That comment seemed just a little too open for interpretation for Kakashi's liking, but he decided to forego his own response. Just how were they going to cross the desert anyway? Running ninja-style through deep sand would not be pleasant, not to mention moronically tiring. Even travelling by the pathetic scratches referred to as trade-roads would be exhausting. The fact that both of them were completely out of funds and had no supplies of which to speak also added a definite damper on the wretched situation. On the bright side, Pakkun wasn't here to make stupid remarks.  
  
Moodily stooping to grab a fistful of scrubby soil, Kurotaka pensively ground the grains between her fingertips, "we're definitely heading out of Earth Country, but we're still way off from the deserts. I think we're heading too far south". She squinted intently at the scant granules of sand that intermingled with the darker earth.  
  
Kakashi halted, muttered inwardly and then spoke, "Let's just keep going. We'd need to pass through at least one of the smaller countries in order to get to Wind anyway. If we can find a village or something, then we can get our bearings". With that, he nimbly vaulted onto a dead tree, using his Chakra in order to walk up the trunk and onto the highest branch that could support his weight. The clear blue sky stretched on in an endless dome, encircling an enticing choice of forest, more forest or dying scrub that lead to yet more forest.  
  
Kurotaka strode over to the base of the tree, kicking at the clumps of dry grass surrounding her feet, "anything?"  
  
"Nothing noteworthy unless you're a tree spotter".  
  
"Oh very funny. I meant which way do you think we should head?"  
  
He blinked in amazement. She was asking for his judgement? Probably only so that when they wound up lost she could blame him entirely, but still...  
  
"In theory we should start heading west now, but I think that our bearings may be a little off. We should have passed a border-village or something by now".  
  
A dark blue eye twitched, "so you're saying we're lost".  
  
"No. We are simply unaware of our exact location at this present time in comparison to our required destination".  
  
"Meaning we're lost".  
  
"In that many words, yes".  
  
She sank to her knees, rocking backwards until she lay sprawled on the twiggy grass, staring up at the ceaseless blue. "Some ANBU member you are. Can't even find one of the largest bloody countries in the world".  
  
There was a crunch of dead twigs and dried shrubbery as Kakashi leapt down beside her, buckling at the knees to sit cross-legged on the bone-dry ground, "we are assassins, trained to be silent, efficient and deadly with both kenjutsu, taijutsu and ninjutsu. Unfortunately, geography is not a prerequisite for membership".  
  
With a snort of laughter she sat up, groggily shaking the twigs from her ponytail, "Guntou still hasn't found anything either. No buildings, no people; nothing".  
  
The silver-haired Chuunin shook his head, surveying the countryside with mounting suspicion. Yesterday's attack had been strange; no name and no motive. Now there was nowhere. An endless sea of natural environment; or was it? Such unspoiled surroundings were supposed to be centred predominantly around Hidden Villages, due to the requirement of keeping the villages covered and providing a range of training areas. In this modern age, towns, cities and other more modern facilities were springing up like weeds, choking the countryside and ravaging natural resources. Why then, would such a great area of obvious fuel and building material be completely untouched?  
  
"Kurotaka".  
  
"Hai?"  
  
"I think we're being taken for fools".  
  
She glanced at him sharply, white-tipped hair shaken free from its cord and drifting in a sudden breeze. Her eyes narrowed in realisation and she dipped a hand down to her shuriken holster. Drawing one vivid silver blade, she contemptuously hurled the spinning weapon towards one of the nearby pines. Hissing through the air, the shuriken's path took it directly towards and through the Chakra-fuelled projection of a tree, spinning on through the gloom.  
  
Clamping his hands into a seal, Kakashi clenched his teeth. "Cancel!" Instantly, the trees began to crumble, swirling until they spun into dark oblivion. Blinking in the new light, Kakashi drew a razor-sharp kunai and stared into the revitalised landscape that swept down into a majestic green valley.  
  
As a thin bead of sweat trickled down his forehead to stain his face-mask, he felt Kurotaka dispel her section of the illusion as well, rising to stand by him, ready to attack.  
  
Toying with the leather-bound handle, Kakashi scanned the new surroundings, eyes trawling the shadows for their unseen imprisoner. How foolish! To have been caught in one ninja's jutsu for so long... What could have lead to him relaxing and behaving in such an unprofessional manner? Never would he have fallen for such an amateur technique in the ANBU.  
  
Mounted high above the two wary ninja, yesterday's puppeteer sneered at his charges. The technique had been quite faultless, even if he did say so himself, and it had worked many times before. When a Shinobi is placed in an entirely alien environment, it is much harder to tell what is or isn't real, especially when your opponent is a master illusionist.  
  
Training Jounin was a dangerous task – the instructors and opponents faced the very real prospect of being killed by powerful, but relatively inexperienced hands in their quest for power and rank. To ensure that needless fatalities were avoided, the exam instructors were chosen not for their strength, but for their skill in making themselves appear strong; opponents would be fabricated and animated by puppets and Chakra. However, only the instructors themselves were aware of this little fact.  
  
Kakashi twitched; a movement above. The kunai flickered in his hands, invisible in its flight. There was a soft sound of shredding fabric and a gentle flutter as a chunk of foggy cloth spiralled slowly to the bracken- coated forest floor.  
  
Kurotaka flinched, drawing her own blade and hurling it several metres away from the path of Kakashi's own. There was a stifled grunt of pain and a shower of real leaves scattered over the Chuunins' heads. Blinking to see through the green cloud enveloping them, Kakashi strove to catch sight of their illusive foe. Two nameless attackers in two days? Too perfect to be sheer coincidence.  
  
As the leaves settled, the forest resumed its earlier serenity; frustratingly silent.  
  
"Where the hell has he gone?" growled Kurotaka, more to herself than Kakashi. She jerked her head irritably each way, striding over to the scrap of fabric that lay prone on the cool ground.  
  
"That dog of yours would be useful right about now".  
  
Kakashi snorted. Pakkun? Useful? The two words couldn't be used in the same sentence without him snickering.  
  
She responded by glaring at him again. "Whatever makes you think that our situation is humorous? Did you get hit on the head by a branch or would you like me to arrange it for you?"  
  
Rolling his eyes, Kakashi gritted his teeth, irritated by the sense of being ordered. "It isn't necessary to call a dog. Our hidden friend is too careless for that".  
  
"Explain".  
  
"I can see him – the big tree to the left of you, fifth branch from the top, under a Chakra camouflage ".  
  
Perfect. The stormy-robed Shinobi permitted himself a small grin of triumph before surging forward, robes billowing out dramatically as he plunged towards the two ninja below him, hands a blur as they formed a stream of seals.  
  
Startled, Kakashi barely had a chance to register what their attacker was doing, let alone what seals he was forming; such a suicidal leap into the path of two edgy ninja was the move of either a master or a moron. Kurotaka's eyes widened in recognition of the symbols, leaping to her right and shoving Kakashi onto the forest floor, rolling right over him just as a blinding flash erupted over their heads.  
  
Spitting out a mouthful of dry and remarkably flavourless bracken, Kakashi somersaulted to his feet, springing to stand alongside Kurotaka. He afforded himself one glance away from their opponent to look at her. She seemed to be blinking a lot, deliberately avoiding looking at him. She must have got some bracken in her eye or something. Returning his attention to the grinning Shinobi before them, he was just in time to duck another strange Chakra explosion aimed at his head. Before he could lunge into his own attack, Kurotaka bounded forward, screaming in defiance, hands a ceaseless blur. Off-beat, Kakashi stumbled as he hurriedly cancelled his own leap into action, kicking up a spray of dried wood and scrambling desperately in the process of trying to stay upright.  
  
The grey ninja hastily formed another explosion, flinging it directly in Kurotaka's path, but it didn't even deter her. The fireball exploded around her, enveloping her form completely from view and engulfing the clearing with smoke. Dodging away from the scene, the ninja tried to leap back into the cover of the scrub but found his path blocked, locked in a Chakra prison. Sprinting from the smoke storm, Kurotaka's hands flicked into a seal, sending a bolt of energy through the invisible wall and electrocuting the scrambling ninja.  
  
A scream erupted from the shinobi's lips, startling nearby birds to flight and piercing the stupor outside the smoke. Taking this as his cue, Kakashi surged through the smoke, ears guiding him to their enemy. As he emerged from the choking cloud, he was met with the whirling blur that was his foul- tempered companion in action. Helpless in his binding prison, the grey ninja's mind raced as he tried to dispel the cage. Nothing would penetrate the prison except for the Kunoichi's vicious strikes, her eyes burning a bloody red, piercing his mind and confirming the staffroom rumours.  
  
Kakashi couldn't see her face, enshrouded by her shadowy hair that had woven free from its tie. An impressive jutsu certainly, but a taxing one. Her strikes were coming less frequently, her breathing laboured as she strove to penetrate her captive's defensive pose. He would have to step in now. Turning her head wearily towards Kakashi, Kurotaka saw his own eyes close, hands clasped tightly into the rat seal. Thankfully, she stepped to one side as his eyes opened, Chakra tendrils rising from his skin.  
  
"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"  
  
Kurotaka's prison faded, as did her crimson eyes, just as Kakashi and his multiple clones attacked. The ninja tried to escape, conjuring another smoke bomb but only succeeding in blinding three of the copies. He ran straight into a bush and a cheerfully smiling clone who struck a simple blow to the back of the older man's head, sending him sailing to the ground as conscious as a rock isn't.  
  
In a puff of yet more smoke, the copies vanished and Kakashi crouched over the limp form of their persistent attacker, keenly examining his face. No one he had ever seen before, just like yesterday. This one wasn't dead though, he'd recover in a couple of minutes, unlike most corpses.  
  
Stumbling, cursing as she clumsily found her way through the remiscent smoke, Kurotaka blundered her way into both Chuunin and anonymous, tripping over Kakashi head-first to land sprawled on the ground before them both. The silver Chuunin face-faulted, stifling a snort as the Kunoichi blushed furiously, scrambling to her feet and glaring at him as usual.  
  
"Who is it?"  
  
"No one I recognise. He may have been hired to attack us".  
  
"Could it have been a case of mistaken identity? I don't know about you, but I haven't many deadly enemies... apart from Gai maybe".  
  
"I doubt mine would be so subtle".  
  
"Was that sarcasm?"  
  
"More or less. Take your pick".  
  
"Do we just leave him here or question him when he wakes up?"  
  
"Just leave him. If he's smart he'll take the hint and leave us alone too".  
  
Winging his way through the smoke, looking almost like a smoke-born entity himself, Guntou made his squawking entrance, coming to a spectacular landing perched on Kakashi's head. Kurotaka smiled, eyes brightening, "He's found a village nearby".  
  
Glaring up at the smugly-squawking parasitic life form referred to as his smugly grinning companion's pet, Kakashi reached up with one hand and gripped the bird expertly behind the neck, pinning his wings and removing him from his comfortable perch. Guntou crowed angrily, twisting his head like an owl to stab the Chuunin's unsuspecting fingers.  
  
"You little -!"  
  
The seagull fluttered arrogantly over to Kurotaka's outstretched hand, looking down his beak imperiously as Kakashi swore and nursed his middle finger, nipped by the unusually sharp beak of his other attacker. Kurotaka chuckled, stroking Guntou's smoky plumage affectionately, "Aaww... did you get hurt by the little birdie, fearless assassin?"  
  
Kakashi smiled, both eyes bent into a grin. "As a matter of fact, yes. He bit me right here". With that, he jerked his middle finger aggressively in the air at her and stood up, walking into the scrub with a vaguely pleasant sense of satisfaction as he heard the other Chuunin spluttering in fury behind him.  
  
........  
  
"You call this a village?"  
  
"If Guntou believes there's a village here, then there's a village here".  
  
"So we're taking a seagull's word in this particular venture".  
  
"Yes, we are. Got a problem with it?"  
  
"Several, but none I'll voice for the sake of my health now".  
  
"That's better".  
  
Staring up at the towering waterfall above them, Kakashi and Kurotaka stood at the rim of a deep pool of what appeared to be a village, according to their "guide". Kakashi knelt on the muddy bank; "Perhaps the village is only accessible by going through a tunnel underwater". Kurotaka stared at him in surprise and he grinned at her, "I take it you never read these books when you were a child".  
  
"What books? What book mentions this kind of a scheme?!"  
  
"I rest my case. Try the Academy books for one. You know, the ones we have to read in order to graduate the stealth and concealment section".  
  
There was an embarrassed cough and Kurotaka stepped gingerly into the crystalline water, "Fine. Let's just get this over with; I hate swimming".  
  
Mentally shelving this piece of information for future blackmail, Kakashi splashed into the depths, wincing at the cold. Observing Kurotaka's reluctance to step any further than knee-level, he sighed and dove into the deep blue. Darkness swirled below him, icy cold all around, stinging his eyes. The pool was deeper than he had originally thought, kicking through blue oblivion as the metres and seconds trickled past. Frog-kicking powerfully, he finally reached the murky silt, fingers exploring the darkness for a crevasse or tunnel. The silt rose in an inky cloud, obscuring his vision. His fingers scrabbled but met nothing as his lungs burned. Reversing his path, he kicked off hard against the ground, legs striking rock as he bolted for the surface.  
  
He broke the surface, silvery droplets of water scattering as he gasped for breath, the mask stuck to his face uncomfortably, infringing on his breathing. Inwardly he cursed the wretched thing, debating ripping it off just to help his breathing. There shouldn't be any risk of Kurotaka treating him any differently... The very idea of her not glaring at him was too strange to contemplate, so he decided not to risk it. As the air revitalised his lungs he dove again, searching for the rock surface that his feet had discovered too late. Three more failed trips later, he finally found the mouth of a little gap, concealed in the area of pool behind the waterfall. Grasping his kunai holster, he fumbled for one of the knives, seized it and then drove it deeply into the rock face, sunlight reflecting from one of the angled sides of the blade. Freezing and desperate for air, he struck off the wall and broke the surface of the pool, swimming back to the rim of the pool.  
  
Kurotaka waded over to meet him where he sat numbly on the muddy bank.  
  
"Any luck?'  
  
He stared unseeingly at her, reached a hand back to his hip pouch and drew from its depths a sodden bookshop gift certificate. He gazed sorrowfully at the ruined, ink-blotched paper.  
  
"I forgot I was still carrying this". His tone wouldn't have been out of place at a funeral.  
  
She sighed, taking the disintegrating envelope from him; "I promise I'll buy you a book when the exam's over. Did you find an entrance?"  
  
He nodded, eyes filled with pain as he stared at the pathetic paper mess in her hands.  
  
"Well come on then! Let's go!" But she seemed hesitant, reluctant even. He looked keenly at her; she seemed to be truly frightened of the water.  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
"Nothing! I'm just waiting for you".  
  
One eye twitched. If she was willing to feign concern for him, then it must be a pretty impressive phobia.  
  
"Why don't you like swimming?"  
  
She froze, staring at him in disbelief. "Why ever do you accuse me of not liking swimming?  
  
"It's not exactly hard to tell".  
  
She sighed, gazing miserably at the pool's sparkling surface. "When I was very young, I went swimming in a river with some friends. We were seeing how long we could hold our breath when some nutcase came running out of the trees and jumped into the river. He grabbed my head and held me underwater until I blacked out. When I woke up the guy was lying dead next to me. My mother had seen the attack and killed him, but hadn't moved him". She spoke bitterly, staring grimly at the water dancing below her. "I'd never seen any example of violence in my life until that day".  
  
He shook his head. "When did this happen?"  
  
Her dark blue eyes were blank, "when I was about four years old I guess".  
  
"Twelve years is a long time to hold onto a fear, even one as understandable as that". He got up from his muddy seating place and shook himself like a dog, dislodging the worst of the icy water and mud. "If this man wanted to kill you but failed, he has at least succeeded in implanting a fear in you. Do you want him to win?"  
  
She stared at him in shock, "I'd never looked at it quite like that".  
  
He smiled at her, "Look at what isn't initially on the surface, speaking of which, it's getting rather dark and if we want to get inside this Hidden Village, then we need to hurry, ok?" It was relatively nice to be the one giving orders for a change. She gritted her teeth and nodded, eyes wide with apprehension. Reluctantly he stepped back into the freezing water, wading out to waist depth before turning back to look at her. "Coming?"  
  
A little of the old attitude sparked and she was instantly level with him, the water swirling past her elbows. She glared at him, "You didn't mention the temperature's arctic".  
  
His eyes bent into an aggravating grin, "you didn't ask". As the anger in her rose, her fear would evaporate. "Hurry up then, I'm not camping out here in wet clothes no matter what you want". The ire rose in her eyes and he dived swiftly, splashing out of reach, guided by the beckoning flash of the kunai catching the sun's dying rays. With an annoyed flick of her ponytail, she plunged in after him, quickly resurfacing with a splutter. Her eyes were wide, breath heaving. Kakashi had already vanished through the tunnel; she would have to go or spend the night out here and the rest of her life regretting her decision. Blinking back a small tear, she inhaled strongly and plunged, seeking the light as tears flooded her vision and left her mind.  
  
"And I thought I was the one who's always late. What took you so long?" A black-gloved hand reached down to her where she was treading water, shivering in cold and remiscent fear. She glared up at the persistent eye- smile and seized the hand abruptly, grinning evilly and jerking its owner back into the water instead of allowing him to pull her out. The eyes unbent and widened in horror as Kakashi plunged back into the frigid pool from which he'd come; a small lagoon within the mountain itself.  
  
Shaking the water from his face and treading water, he turned a vengeful glare on the snickering Chuunin beside him, "That was uncalled for. You leave me no other choice". With that, he placed both hands on her head and ducked her, hastily swimming away to the edge of the pool as she gave a roar of fury and took off after him. It was amazing what your mind could overcome when it was angry enough. Scrambling up the slippery rock face to safety, he was forced to hasten his escape as Kurotaka leapt up after him.  
  
"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU FOR THAT HATAKE!"  
  
"I've heard that so many times it's lost all effect on me," he called back nonchalantly glancing back over his shoulder at just the wrong moment, managing to run full-tilt into a nearby stalactite and see nothing but lovely little stars swimming around his eyes. Crashing to the solid rock floor, his fall was broken by Kurotaka diving after him, grabbing and cushioning his head from hitting the ground. Neck wrenched at a particularly painful angle and stars still twinkling around him, he stared blearily up at her. "What was that?"  
  
"A stalactite. You should watch where you're running if you plan to make an escape".  
  
He groaned, sitting up and grabbing his forehead, "why am I reminded of that hangover all of a sudden?"  
  
She rolled her eyes, "perhaps because you hit your head, you moron".  
  
He looked through his eyes at her slyly, "what if I have amnesia?"  
  
She glared at him, "if you had amnesia you certainly wouldn't be able to remember what it's called, baka".  
  
Kneading his hands into his forehead he moaned, "it was worth a try at least".  
  
She blinked in concern, "Does it really hurt that badly? Maybe you fractured your skull, hold still". She leant over and pulled his hands from his face, studying his head critically, "you haven't even broken the skin, but you'll have one hell of a bruise in the morning".  
  
Kakashi said nothing. She was still holding his hands – a smart remark could result in them being broken.  
  
Her eyes trawled away from his forehead, looking instead at his eyes. Charcoal black and deep blue, the same colour as the water from which they had both surfaced. She held his gaze for a few seconds before breaking away, hauling him to his feet. "You can still walk?"  
  
"You could always carry me if you were feeling especially generous, since I'm an invalid", he replied, head swimming.  
  
Kurotaka responded by viciously jerking his hand, tugging him towards the mouth of the cave, before releasing her tight grasp. She strode into the dark, slipping on the slimy rocks.  
  
"You smell like a wet dog by the way".  
  
There wasn't really anything you could say after a parting comment like that.  
  
...........  
  
I am officially destined to have a headache throughout this exam, despaired Kakashi inwardly as he trailed behind Kurotaka through the silent village. She seemed a little edgy, staying ahead of him the whole time as they ambled through the empty streets. This certainly was an odd place. Guntou wheeled overhead, wordlessly directly Kurotaka towards the place he had found people.  
  
"There's a light over there!"  
  
"No kidding. I thought it was a rock".  
  
"Just shut up Hatake, ok?"  
  
They cautiously approached the large building. It seemed to be a hall of some description and the only dwelling with any possible inhabitants. Kurotaka cleared her throat, striding up to the heavy oak door, rapping her knuckles sharply on the sandpapered surface.  
  
"Hello? We're two exam students, we mean you no harm!"  
  
He exchanged a glance with her, "Possibly they don't want guests. Not even Shinobi".  
  
She sighed, "whatever gave you that impression".  
  
As they turned to leave, the door slid open, engulfing the sodden, bedraggled Chuunin in a warm glow.  
  
"Kakashi!"  
  
Kakashi turned around in surprise, "Asuma? Why are you here?"  
  
Asuma grinned, cigarette hanging out the side of his mouth, smoke trailing in a lazy ribbon, "same reason as you I suppose. The people here are pretty shy, but they took me in since I'm trying to complete the Jounin exam".  
  
Kurotaka stepped back into the doorway, "how long have you been here?"  
  
Asuma shrugged, "I was dumped in the caves outside of here on the first day, but I decided just to stay here and wait for the rest of my team to find me".  
  
Kakashi chuckled, "that's slack even for you. I'm impressed. Do you think we'll be able to stay here for a day or so?"  
  
Asuma laughed, "I guess so. Come on in! As long as you don't break anything or act too much like your normal self they should be fine with you staying here a while".  
  
.........  
  
wild-filly: Will update as soon as I can! Please review! 


	9. Chapter 8

Wild-filly; coughs Huge apologies for the slump – was engaged in writing own original fiction, drawing character designs for two different mangas, studying for yet more exams and being a lazy git.... Forgive me?

Muses: Mutinous glare

Wild-filly: O.o;; I can take a hint – next chapter right here... please don't kill me

Disclaimer: Don't own, never will, but will always want to sighs

My thanks go to the last reviewers, including deon, JapanAnimeGirl, Kesshin, kimpster and carzyme89 for their comments and encouragement I really appreciate it, people! Choc-chip cookies for all! coughs Ok, I'll stop talking now...

..........

Okumen Gokurakuchou: Chapter 8

..........

The residents of the camouflaged village were friendly but not very helpful towards the three Chuunins currently invading their home territory. According to the rules of the Jounin exam, which they had received several months before the commencing of the exam itself, they were allowed to house the examinees, but not actually provide them with aid in completing their tasks. The sodden, weary Chuunins had been offered a bunk each in the village's only, small inn. Not that Kakashi had been given a chance to use it.

Kakashi yawned widely, elbows propped on a table in a small dining hall as he contemplated his empty rice bowl. It was nice to be sitting down on a chair again. So much walking around may be good for the muscles, but not so good for the nerves afterwards. Asuma was lounging next to him, lazily drawing on a cigarette. He rolled one eye at Kakashi. "Have you actually looked at your scroll since you got it?" he drawled.

"Hn?" Kakashi gazed up sleepily from his bowl. His face had drooped unexpectedly into its sticky depths as his contemplating became confused with napping. He brushed absent-mindedly at the grains of rice clinging to his mask. "What scroll?"

Asuma chuckled, extinguishing his cigarette in his own empty bowl, smattering ashes all over the chipped porcelain, regardless of the innkeeper's disapproving stare. "The scroll that we all got given at the beginning of the exams. We aren't in the same group, but we may be able to help each other out a bit".

Kakashi blinked, dislodging a chunk of rice that had taken up residence in his eyeball. "I thought seeking aid with the scrolls was against the rules?"

"Since when has that ever stopped you?" laughed Asuma, unrolling his own scroll, thumbing the thick rice-paper. "The villagers aren't allowed to help us, but I don't see why two fellow Jounin-to-be can't give each other a hand". He winked conspiratorially at Kakashi. "What do you say?"

"I say you stop that train of thought before I crush it".

"What she said", intoned Kakashi drowsily, head sagging back into his bowl as Kurotaka joined their table. She raised one eyebrow at the comatose ninja sitting across from her, mumbling into his rice and glanced at Asuma. "What's with him?"

Asuma smiled indulgently, "I believe he spent most of last night telling stories to the villagers. He got quite an audience from the young ladies here". He grinned at her, watching with amusement as her face hardened and she glared at the sleeping Kakashi.

Inner danger-detector ever on the alert with Kurotaka on the prowl, Kakashi lifted his head miserably to face her. "What did I do now?"

"Nothing", she spat, grabbing a bowl and dipping into the communal rice container in the middle of the table, viciously spooning rice into her own dish before slamming it back before herself. Vaguely satisfied with this answer, Kakashi slumped back into the bowl, eyes desperate for rest.

Now it was Asuma's turn to raise an eyebrow, "nothing, eh? You seem awfully annoyed about Kakashi-kun attracting so much female attention..." He grinned evilly at her. There was a loud crash and Kakashi was jerked from his rice-filled slumber, only to witness Kurotaka catch his eye, blush a violent crimson, grab her bowl and stalk off outside.

"What was that all about?" he murmured, scarcely believing what he had just witnessed. Life was so much more complicated when you were sleep-deprived and wearing rice.

"Never mind", yawned Asuma, leaning back in his chair. "Maybe I'll tell you when you're less tired". He slid one eye over to where Kakashi was sitting and then rolled it as he noted that the notorious assassin was once more asleep in his breakfast.

............

"We have a variety of choices".

Kakashi nodded amiably, leaning against the whitewashed wall of one of the village houses with an element of coolness he had not displayed this morning. Kurotaka appeared to have gotten over her little tantrum, whatever it had been about. She paced before him, black and white ponytail flicking irritably. He mentally cursed his inability to focus on anything after not being able to sleep for extended periods of time. Something very worthy of blackmail had slipped from his grasp again and he was not impressed....

"We could follow Asuma's lead and stay here, waiting for the others to find us".

He shook his head. "We can't know that the others aren't doing exactly the same thing in different villages".

She glared at him. "Wait until I'm finished, moron!"

He nodded agreeably. It was by far the simplest and easiest course of action. She cleared her throat. "As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, we could stay here, or we could head out again. Heading for Konoha seems to be the best course of action, as it is the most logical choice of meeting for all of our team. However, we don't know where the others are in relation to us. We could be waiting in Konoha for too long, waiting for them to turn up".

She glanced at him, "you can talk now".

He yawned and stretched, straightening with a pensive look on what was visible of his face. "I would agree that Konoha is the most logical destination. The sooner we head back to the village, the better. It would then also be possible to consult our own resources when it comes to deciphering the scrolls. I could also water Mr Ukki".

She blinked, "Mr Ukki?"

"My pet plant", he explained, bracing for the incredulous verbal assault.

"That's so cute!" He almost fell over in surprise. "Cute?!" he stammered.

"Yes, cute!" she chirped at him, grinning. "I would never have seen you as the kind of person to care about the welfare of a plant. Does it flower?" Her eyes were glowing in some obscure form of delight; possibly due to the fact she had just unearthed some very worthy blackmail material.

He coughed, trying to muster up what was left of his shattered dignity. "I do not believe that this topic bears much relevance to our situation. Shall we now gather up our possessions and leave? I will inform Asuma of our decision". He strode off, head high and stride proud, attempting to reinstate the limited respect she had for him. He could feel the annoyance of his snub radiating off on her, so he risked a turn of his head back to her.

"Mr Ukki doesn't flower. He's a fern. They don't flower as far as I know".

Hastily he turned his head back as she grinned at him again. Watching where he was going before risking a repeat of the experience with the stalactite in the caves took a higher priority than her not attacking him for now. It was doubtful that his head could take much more of this abuse. No wonder the Jounin exam had such a high age restriction – it was unlikely that a younger ninja would survive this many head injuries.

The search for Asuma lead him to a quiet little hut, where he discovered the other Chuunin pouring over his scroll, scribbling translations down on a separate piece of paper. When Kakashi appeared, he hunched jealously over the scrap paper. "Scrounging for answers are we?" he gloated triumphantly.

"Nope, 'fraid not", Kakashi responded nonchalantly, crouching down to sit cross-legged on the stone floor of the little hut. "Just thought I should tell you that we're heading back to Konoha in an hour or so".

Asuma tapped his page with a stick of charcoal, smudging the already scruffy paper as he stared resolutely at the ceiling. "I take it you want me to accompany you?"

He shrugged. "Tis your choice. If you want we can tell your team-mates that you're here".

Asuma nodded blithely, "that would be useful. Want me to do the same for you?"

"Sounds good", agreed Kakashi. "Who're you with anyway?"

"Ebisu, Ibiki and a random named Shouji, who I don't expect you'd recognise".

"Fair enough. I'm with Masurao, Akiraka and Gai". He resisted the urge to choke on the last name. Asuma grinned at him, "still stuck with that guy?" He chuckled enthusiastically at his own weak pun as Kakashi glared at him.

"Fine, fine, lame joke, I know. Yeah, I'll keep an eye open for you. You and Kurotaka have fun". He hastily raised his legs onto his chair as Kakashi aimed a swipe at his knees with a scroll lying abandoned on the floor.

"What'd I say?!"

"Why does everyone have to say something like that to me with every parting comment?!"

"Say what?" asked Asuma, perplexed. Then his eyes widened in realisation, a wicked grin curving on his face. "I hadn't even thought of saying it in that way... Your mind really is on the defensive isn't it? Now that you mention it, I can see why others have been telling you the same thing". He chuckled at Kakashi's ominous expression. "Get going would you? I'm sick of being glared at. You really have been hanging around that maniac chick too long".

..........

"Are we there yet?'

"No"

"Are we there yet?"

"No"

"Are we there yet?'

"No"

"Are we there yet?"

"No"

"Are we there yet?'

"No"

"Are we there yet?"

"No"

"Are we there yet?'

"No"

"Are we there yet?"

"No"

"Are we there yet?'

"No"

"Are we there yet?"

"No"

"Are we there yet?"

"Do you have any idea how petty this mode of annoyance is?" growled Kakashi, eyes closed and eyebrows knitted together in frustration as he and Kurotaka stalked through the deep forest undergrowth of Fire Country. They had been travelling for a day and a half already and the going hadn't improved any. After taking most of the first day at a run, both ninja were moving a less strenuous pace, looking out for signs of inhabitation or danger. Both of which were proving oddly illusive though, resulting in the resident Kunoichi seeking entertainment through a different malicious practise. Namely being as irritating as possible.

Kurotaka groaned, twisting her back to make each vertebra moan and crack in turn, sending shudders down Kakashi's own spine.

"Must you do that?" he muttered, squinting into the maze of trees for the main trading route path that was supposedly nearby by now. "You'll get arthritis".

"Do what?" she queried innocently, drawing a kunai from its leg holster and toying with it, a bored expression writ clearly across her face. "I'd say arthritis would be the least of my troubles".

"Your being annoying is a poor way to pass time over the miles", he responded, disregarding the threat of a death glare at close range.

"I'm not being annoying", she countered, replacing the kunai and jogging to walk alongside him, all the better to affix a poisonous stare to him. "I was just asking you a valid question that was especially relevant to our situation".

"Over a period of time encompassing the better part of two hours". He glared down at her and she countered the venomous stare easily, both ninja intent solely on their aggressive staring contest. So intent were they both, that a pair of trees located directly in their paths escaped their attentions until both were on very close quarters. Face partially wrapped around an unexpected pine tree, Kakashi staggered sideways, miserably stepping around the inoffensive tree and rubbing his face dejectedly. On his left, Kurotaka did the same; a similarly trunk-shaped bruise welling on her own features. They both staggered around the trees to fall back into step alongside one another. The sheer wretchedness of the whole situation caught Kakashi's throat. He began to chuckle. Peals of laughter rang out helplessly from his covered mouth. There was little else one could do in this situation. To his vague surprise, Kurotaka joined in with him, voice lilting over his own with a higher version of his own manically depressed notes. It was one of those perfect moments; both ninja united in complete and utter exasperation with life, the universe and everything.

At last the laughter died in his throat and he allowed on eye to glance over at her, enjoying the sight of her face being lightened, despite the great red mark on her cheek where tree had met Kunoichi in an abrupt greeting. She gradually lowered her own laugh and slid her own dark eye to glance at him, silent. Upon seeing his own gaze on her, her eye shot back in embarrassment, but then returned to catch his glance. Was she blushing? Or was it just the bruise? He couldn't tell... maybe he was just concussed again. Then something resurfaced in his memory.

"About that last fight we had..."

"The one at breakfast?" she stared at him in confusion.

"No, not between us; the one with the attempted assassins".

"Ah". She seemed to stiffen, her gaze shifting to travel resolutely on the leaf litter of the forest floor. "What about it?"

He hesitated. "I was wondering... how did you manage to do that with your eyes?"

"Do what with my eyes?" Her voice was blunt, eyes never leaving the ground as they trekked on. "I can't do anything with my eyes".

"I would have thought the same thing", he responded, also staring straight ahead as they trudged on. "However it is very unusual for someone who can't do anything with their eyes to have them change colour like that".

She whirled to glare at him, black tresses a flurry over her shoulder, "that's a lie! I can't use any form of eye ability! Your own eyes deceived you, not mine". She gritted her teeth and returned her stare to the ground, pace quickening.

"As you wish", he replied softly, eyes following her path and mind unsure of how to feel. Sympathy? Distrust? Neither... if she didn't want to talk about it, then he could wait until she was. Trust didn't seem to register too highly in her abilities, and he wasn't really one of the better examples of a worthy vessel of her secrets. With a sigh he trudged along a little faster, breaking into a jog just as Guntou soared overhead, squawking urgently.

Kurotaka turned back to him, face still red where the tree had met it. "He's found a border patrol! Quickly!" She took off through the trees, weaving between the towering trunks and leaping over low-hanging branches, the glinting tips of her hair catching the amber afternoon light. He rolled his eyes and sped up, dodging the forest traffic hazards in an effort to keep up with her and keep the squawking seagull in sight.

Leaping ninja-style through the trees, they finally found the small patrol, stationed by a great wall that snaked its way through the trees and cut short a variety of thin paths, worn down by travellers to the inner areas of the Fire Country. Kurotaka crouched next to him, kneeling close to the surface of the thick branch. He could hear her efforts to stifle her gasps for breath. The seagull had been a bit vague on the details of just how far away this patrol was. The ANBU had been perfect for this sort of training. At least during this exam it was still light – the ANBU leaders had always preferred to send their troops out at night, despite the serious risk associated with running into trees in pitch black surroundings. It had done something for his ability to detect danger at long ranges at least... honing it to something of a fine art, that is.

"Do you think they'll let us pass?" she whispered, blue eyes fixed on the group of guards relaxing by the entrance cut through the great wall. Kakashi counted them. Five younger guards, one senior. They appeared to be engaged in some kind of dice game. Ah, how nice it was to see the farthest reaches of the law working hard to protect the citizens.

"I'm not sure. We haven't our ninja licenses. Perhaps my tattoo would be sufficient clearance".

She glanced at him, frowning. "What do you mean "tattoo"? Have you got a passport on your back or something? I doubt any tattoo would get us past here". Her voice was mocking, but curious.

He eye-smiled at her. "This one might. And since you don't have one, I suggest you keep quiet and go along with any story I conjure up to get us through".

She snorted, flipping her white-tipped bangs from her face contemptuously. "We could just scale the wall further on, you know".

He shook his head, eye-smile never faltering. "When was the last time you left Fire Country?"

She faltered, eyes troubled, "I've never left Fire Country".

"You obviously don't know the deal with the wall then".

"And what deal would that be?" her voice was haughty, eyes boring burning holes into his skull but he ignored her. It was so nice to feel superior for a change. Not that she seemed to acknowledge his better wisdom though. At least one of them could... if that was worth anything.

"The wall is charged with Chakra", he explained quietly, intent on the guards' actions. "If we don't pass through the wall by legal means, then we will be attacked by its Chakra defences. The bolt of energy won't kill you, but you won't be able to uncross your eyes for a while". He nodded to her. "Come on. Let's go talk to the "dedicated" law-upholders down there. And remember to keep your mouth shut". She had opened her mouth to say something, eyes fixed on the group of guards, but she silenced herself, glaring irritably at him. He dropped down silently from the tree, landing gracefully on one knee and straightening, stepping out subtly to meet the watchers who still hadn't noticed him.

"Ohayo!" he called cheerfully, one hand raised in greeting. There was a frantic scramble as the dice were shoved into someone's pocket and coinage reclaimed. One of the guards rushed over to him, a short spear lowered. "Halt!"

"Halting", he responded genially, raising his hands in submission. "I'm not here to wage an attack against the illustrious border. I am a member of the ANBU, currently training in the Jounin exam. Would you be so kind as to let me pass?"

The young guard narrowed his eyes. "ANBU? Where's your tattoo?"

Kakashi obligingly rolled up his sleeve, exposing the dark scar that traced his upper arm. The guard peered at it suspiciously. "Far too easy to fake!" he announced scornfully, "have you any border papers?"

Kakashi shook his head, frowning. "ANBU members do not require identity records in order to cross the border. We need only show our tattoo".

The guard sniffed arrogantly, "a likely story!"

"How about my forehead protector then?" suggested Kakashi, biting back a twinge of annoyance in his voice. His tolerance for nuisances had already been stretched pretty far today; he didn't need this pompous little idiot barring his path any longer. Sneering, the guard replied, "and what would I care about a headband? Get going, before we see you off". He spun on his heel and strode away contemptuously.

Kakashi tutted out loud. "Not very bright at all..."

"What did you say?!" The arrogant novice whirled to face him, face beet red with fury, spear grasped white-knuckled in his hand. "How dare you insult an officer of the Fire Country border?"

He sighed. "You're asking yourself to get killed. Here's a tip – never EVER turn your back on a man you've just insulted and denied a reasonable request of. For one thing, if that doesn't gain you a knife between the shoulder-blades, then I'm not sure what will. For another..." A kunai came whizzing from the trees, smacking the spear from the guard's trembling grasp and sending it spinning across the dirt path. Kakashi moved in a blur, deftly retrieving the spear and kunai in one fluid motion, before returning to his original position. To an untrained eye, such as that of the guard's, it was as if he had simply vanished and then reappeared, the weapon materialising in his hands.

"... It is unwise to threaten a self-proclaimed ANBU with a rusty spear. Especially if there is another ninja in the shadows".

A ringing applause sounded form the guard tent as the senior officer stepped forward, grinning at Kakashi and the stammering guard. Kakashi allowed one eye to travel to the new appearance, his ears reporting the faint sound of Kurotaka descending from the tree and stalking quietly over to join him.

"Nicely done, ANBU", the old man crowed, clapping his amateur counterpart on the shoulder with a roaring laugh. "It's nice to see some of our more resistant pupils finally getting the talking-to they need". He grinned wickedly at Kakashi, blue eyes dancing under his bangs of greying hairs. "Of course I recognise your tattoo and headband. I've got a sister in Konoha myself". The older man turned, hearing the soft rustle of Kurotaka's shoes on the undergrowth. His face paled and then lightened in joy. "Kuro-chan?" he called in disbelief.

She grinned at him, jogging towards them, blue and white knee-length kimono flapping, "Uncle!" Kakashi stared in surprise at this unexpected family reunion.

The grizzled old guard hugged the Kunoichi hard before releasing her, sky-blue eyes dancing with joy. "How've you been, kid? How's your mother?"

"Not bad on both counts", she grinned. "What about you? I haven't seen you since I was twelve".

"Same as always, same as always", he nodded. "Spend most of my life training these morons". He roughly clapped the open-mouthed officer beside him on the shoulder and barked, "well, there's no time to waste now! The Jounin exam you said?" He squinted at Kakashi who nodded dumbly. Kurotaka grinned at her uncle, "we've only three weeks or so left to complete the exam, so we'd better hurry. I promise I'll send Guntou with a letter or something afterwards and tell you how it went".

"You've still got that daft bird?" the guard shook his head, shuffling over to the heavy iron-wrought gate and fumbling with the locks, "well I don't know... good luck to you kid, and you too, ninja-boy". He gave Kakashi an appraising look and seemed to nod to himself. Kakashi had a sinking feeling that he had been given some sort of approval. Approval he wasn't so sure he wanted. Kurotaka smiled at him and seized him by the wrist, towing him through the gate and jogging away, waving over her shoulder to her uncle before the wall vanished from view by the enveloping forest. She sighed and returned her attention to their path, as the trade road wound its way through the woods.

Kakashi shook his head. "Honestly, Kurotaka. I think I've figured out one question about you and then you go and throw me ten more to answer".

"What do you mean by that?" she responded, voice oddly subdued, "did you think I was entirely without friends or family?"

"No", he replied, rolling his sleeve down again. "I just didn't think it was physically possible for you to look happy to actually see another human being". A smack caught him on the shoulder, shoving him into a nearby bush as Kurotaka continued on, pace never altering. As he thrashed his way out of the shrubbery and caught up to her again, she resumed their conversation. "I only really know my mother's side of the family. One uncle, a couple of cousins and my grandfather. Everyone else is either dead or doesn't want to know me".

Kakashi held his breath, "why would that be?" He asked delicately, probing over a matter that could explode at any moment.

To his combined surprise and relief, she didn't shove him into another hedge. Her head lowered, hair twitching less as her eyes clouded over. "My father's side would prefer it if I didn't exist. I'm an embarrassment to them, as it my mother".

"I think I understand", answered Kakashi softly.

She shook her head, eyes watery. "No, I don't think you understand entirely". She jerked her head away from him determinedly. 'It'll be dark soon. Let's make some distance and then stop for the night". She plunged on ahead of him, arms rigid out behind her as she ran ninja-style down the road, shadow flitting over puddles of amber sunlight still filtering through the trees. Kakashi sprinted to catch up with her, noting the tears that stained the dusty ground in her wake as he caught up to her. She sprinted recklessly ahead of him, narrowly avoiding branches and puddles. There wasn't a chance that she was thinking clearly. At this rate she was going to trip and injure herself in her haste to get away from his questions.

"Kurotaka, wait" The command burst forth before he even gave it any real thought. To his amazement, she actually listened, jogging, walking and then stopping. Her hair hid her pale face, bangs sheltering her eyes. He walked carefully over to her, resting his hands on her shoulders to crane his head in order to look her in the eyes. She was biting her lip, determined not to cry in front of him. She glared defensively, eyes crystalline from the tears that fell as she ran, scarlet tree-bruise not helping her splotchy complexion.

"You can't just run from these kinds of problems" he softly reminded her. "You've been running from them so long it has affected who you are". He remembered what she said about the wacko that had tried to drown her. "Talk. We can make up ground later. This issue is more important".

"I don't want to talk", she answered bitterly, throat taut from crying. "I'm not miserable for my life. I'm angry for my mother and what my life did to her's; what my father's did to her's".

"What do you mean?" he asked, eyes searching hers, searching for an answer. She held his gaze a long time, saying nothing, then closed her eyes and folded into him. He braced against her, arms encircling her shoulders as she leant against his chest, sobbing quietly. He didn't know what to do. Wrapping his arms around her back and stroking her absent-mindedly he glanced around anxiously, cursing his relative inexperience in these matters. One wrong move could turn her into a homicidal maniac again; an especially dangerous one at this range. As the minutes dragged on, he began to wonder if it would be easier just to offend her and give her an excuse to stop feeling upset and start attacking him again. Her tears had stopped, soaking into his thick green Chuunin vest and tickling his chest muscles. The warmth of her small frame was comforting. An unusual sensation, but comforting none the less. She seemed to be drawing strength from him, for she broke his grasp, pushing herself away from him, eyelashes damp from crying, but seeming more refreshed. She stared at him before looking away, embarrassed.

"I'm sorry I did that, Hatake. I've never done that to anyone before. Please excuse my behaviour". She turned away, striding swiftly off the path and into a clearing, scanning the area for a water source. He followed her silently. "Perhaps you should have done it before", he called to her, leaning down to gather some stray branches to make a campfire. She didn't stop her searching, but he could have sworn she looked at him for just one second with a crimson Sharingan eye.

.......

wild-filly: I should hopefully update quicker after this one... please review! Every review helps prod me into writing more


	10. Chapter 9

Wild-filly: Amazing! Another update in such short succession... I will go towards my promise to update more frequently with somewhat better effort than that in previous chapters ;; In my efforts to update faster though, I will have to make the chapters shorter I'm afraid. What would people prefer? Long pause – long chapter or short pause – short chapter? You tell me. I will warn you however that I have my big-end-of-year-exams coming up in four weeks so I will be completely insane in the meantime, resulting in less writing and more rabid tantrums.

Kaioshin: coughs and pointedly stares at the blank page

Wild-filly: ahemOh yeah, the chapter ;; Cookies for JapanAnimeGirl and Magicians of the Yami for being so quick to review And I would like to especially appeal to the people who follow this fic but don't review to make themselves known... please? Pretty please? I'll shut up now...

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Okumen Gokurakuchou: Chapter 9

.............

The moon rode high over the trees, bright and full in the otherwise grim night, throwing elongated shadows across the clearing where the two would-be Jounin were camped. Seated and leaning against the trunk of a spindly pine tree, Hatake Kakashi calmly slid a rag down the blade of his glinting katana, one of the most noticeable weapons of the ANBU. A flashy weapon, yes, but no less deadly than one more subtle. A piece of silk dropped onto the blade would be cut in half the instant it made contact. Well, in theory it would. He didn't really have any silk around to try this theory out on and either way, the katana was starting to look a little sorry for itself after all its nights out in the open. To be perfectly honest, the grimy rag wasn't doing much by way of good for it any way. He needed to get some proper polish and soft cloths, lest it become more effective as a hammer rather than a blade.

Kakashi sighed, re-sheathing the sword and resting both katana and sheath on his lap, casting a sleepy, bored eye over the campsite. A quiet movement from Kurotaka caught his attention as she rolled over in her sleeping bag, inky-black hair shaken out of the tightly woven fabric of the blanket and spilling onto the grass. He watched her silently, her skin starkly pale in the darkness. She was going to have a fit in the morning if she got grass in her hair. Doubtless she would find him to blame for it somehow. It did look very pretty though, trailing over the newly sprouted plants like a soft, silken carpet. A strange urge to reach out and caress the raven locks welled up inside of him...

He shook himself mentally. What the hell was he thinking? The lack of sleep must be getting to him... There was no real obligation for him to be on watch duty. They were still far enough away from the heart of Fire Country to avoid the attentions of bandits and thieves. The threat of assassination was fairly slim. It was unlikely that the Hidden Leaf would send out Shinobi to murder some of its students. In fact, they were remarkably safer than they had been for about a week, considering the fact that the Hidden villages of other countries would want to eliminate foreign Jounin examinees before they could become a more serious threat. Not that they would stop at eliminating examinees.... No; in the ANBU he had learned that it was not above Hidden village ninja to assassinate any form of threat to their power; be it a missing-nin, assassin, newly-graduated Genin or a mere child, unintentionally born with a bloodline ability. Konoha behaved in the same fashion; not that any of the villages would ever admit to these actions in public face. As far as the countries were concerned, no underhanded defence tactics were undertaken by any of the Hidden villages.

He shook his head in cynical humour. What a corrupt little world we live in.

The morning sun came in rich waves of butter yellow, disturbing both Shinobi from slumber. Kakashi realised too late that he had fallen asleep while seated on a tree root and leaning backwards against the tree trunk, resulting in the exceptional stiffness of his back and unspeakable bruising on his... Well, either way the situation didn't bear much thought. Pushing his aches aside, he probed the campfire to life as Kurotaka came staggering back from the bushes, eyes half-closed and ponytail swishing, sporting an artful collection of grass hair ornaments that she had unintentionally taken to wearing.

"Good morning" she grunted, dumping herself down by the fire. "There's a little stream further off that way". She jerked her thumb back the way she had just been. "Nothing worth eating though. We'd better find a town further on to scrounge up something to eat".

His heart sank, closely followed by his stomach. Survival training sucked, it really did.

Half an hour later, both Chuunins were making their swaying way down the road, jogging at a rhythmic, slow pace. It wasn't as fast as running ninja-style, but when you're tired, stiff and haven't eaten anything for about twenty-four hours, it was a perfectly respectable pace. Pickings had been slim as far as any kind of edible resources had gone. The last proper food either of them had had was the rice at breakfast. Not that Kakashi had used it for much other than as a pillow.

"In hindsight, we should have asked for more supplies before we left Asuma and the village", he commented conversationally as they shuffled down the winding, trailing road.

"Too bad you didn't think of that when it could actually have helped us", she responded testily. The lack of food was getting to her as well. She jogged on again, hair twitching irritably. It was as if that ponytail had a personality of its own. One as abrasive as its owner's. The memory of those tresses seeming so soft and inviting to touch on the short turf of the clearing rose in his mind and he hastily shoved aside his sarcastic inner comment. He put one hand to his temple, closing his eyes in confusion. What on earth was he thinking? That was twice in one morning...

"Are you coming or becoming part of the geography?" yowled Kurotaka over her shoulder, glaring back at him standing motionless a hundred metres down the path from her. Numbly, he jerked himself back into life, sprinting painfully to catch up to her. How very strange... This new train of thought unnerved him somewhat.

She halted, glaring at him with one hand on her hip as she waited for him to catch up. "Did you hit your head again or something?" she demanded, staring at him in annoyance.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" he queried, blinking in confusion as he remerged from his thoughts. She threw her hands up in exasperation. "Do you want me to give you a new head injury in order to wake you up?" Ah. Back to good old threats of bodily harm, now we were in familiar territory again.

"A kind offer, but I'm afraid I'll have to decline". He eye-smiled at her aggravatingly. "Come now. Don't be standing there staring at me all day". He took off lightly down the road, loping easily ahead of her even as fatigue was overridden by her overwhelming urge to decapitate him. As he ran he noted that the trees were thinning out, tree stumps littering the ground. It seemed that they were finally getting out of this wretched forest. Finally humanity had stepped in to destroy yet another ecosystem. It was about time. Enraged sprinting died down back to the mechanical jog, as both ninja kept pace side by side. There was something comforting about the exercise. Perhaps it was the fact that they both shared the same emotions, the same goal in the end. Now if only it were a more positive situation, then it could actually have been quite enjoyable, even amiable.

The miles trailed by until finally scattered spires of smoke rising into the early afternoon sky caught the eyes of both Chuunin, still running monotonously down the road. Muscles groaned as they embraced the endurance that they had been enjoying a break from. Kakashi had been enjoying a temporary holiday from ANBU duties for the last few weeks on the lead up to the Jounin exam. He had specially requested the time off in order to "study", much to the disdain of the ANBU leaders. However, since he hadn't used any of his other request-holidays that year, they grudging allowed him three weeks to train and ready himself for the challenge that would be the exam. The fact that as soon as he got the permission to go he left with Masurao to go on an... ahem, expedition to one of the brighter towns of Fire Country and enjoy some of the delights normally barred to young ninja had not entered into the decisions of the ANBU at all. He was pretty sure that his skiving off from training hadn't been detected... fairly sure... kind of... maybe. Either way, his little "holiday" was proving not to have been the training his muscles needed, since they were now complaining bitterly about a marathon he ordinarily could have done in his sleep. He pondered over the reasoning behind Kurotaka's sluggishness. Maybe she just wasn't used to this kind of training. It was all very well to go out for long runs and do survival training, but it was quite another thing to actually apply them in real life instead of the Academy.

"I... hope... they're feeling... charitable", panted Kurotaka, brusquely brushing away a trickle of sweat beading on her eyebrow to spill over onto her eyelids. "Especially since we haven't any money left".

Kakashi grunted. Answering was so much of an effort. He couldn't even mutter his smart-aleck comment already perfectly lined up for her remark. There was truth in her words though. They were a pair of scruffy, exhausted, starving and quite penniless ninja. Hardly the kind of people accepted with open arms in a nice, well to-do modern town such as those that clustered the inner regions of the Fire country. Not that he had visited many... his expedition had leant towards the.. less reputable ones around.

They finally reached the massive gates that isolated the town from the rest of the world, its formidable wall creating a barrier to all that was foreign and uncouth. Like them. Kakashi staggered up to the gates and waited expectantly. The doors remained steadfastly locked. It was a subtle greeting of sorts. He sighed. "I don't think they want us here, Kurotaka".

She glared wearily at him. "Don't you think I could tell that? They haven't picked a good day to try me like this". There was a dangerous flash in her eyes, beneath the rings of poor sleep and fatigue from travelling. He felt a shudder navigate its way cautiously down his spine. There was something aggressive in those eyes; aggressive even for this homicidal Kunoichi. He had heard rumours of this fabled aggression that came about only for a limited time each month, but had to admit, he had never given the rumours the credit they deserved.

"OI! YOU! ASSHOLE KEEPING THE GATES SHUT!!"

Kakashi winced. This was going to go down well.

A head appeared over the top of the wall. It would appear that this town had a more medieval fashion when it came to managing gates and guarding walls. The gatekeeper was in fact stationed on the wall, effectively distancing him from attack from undesirables determined to get inside by any means necessary. Kakashi studied the gate critically. There must be some sort of release mechanism that leads all the way up to the guard's post. How to release it from the ground, however, was a different question. In the meantime, the guard's head had appeared and it did not look pleased to see them, nor particularly flattered by Kurotaka's greeting.

"Would you be referring to me, madam?" The scarlet-faced guard choked out the words, obviously trying to stick to some form of business etiquette, but at the same time failing miserably. Kakashi chuckled inwardly. It was nice to witness someone catching the brunt of Kurotaka's wrath, without actually being that someone.

"YES, YOU, YOU MORONIC GARGOYLE, PERCHED UP ON THE WALL THERE. OPEN THIS BLOODY GATE OR I'LL COME UP AND MAKE YOU A REAL WALL FIXTURE!!" She was positively frothing at the mouth, gesturing aggressively with one hand as her ponytail thrashed the air angrily. He was quite impressed. Even the guard stationed eleven metres or so above them looked a little taken aback. Seeming to get a grip on his wits again and the precise situation, he sneered down at the smouldering Kurotaka and braced Kakashi.

"And do you really think that you can scare me, wench? Perhaps some small detail of my being up here and your's being down there has escaped you". He smirked luxuriously. "There isn't a chance that either of you troublemakers is getting into this town, so I suggest you both crawl away back under the fertiliser mound you came from". His insults were not as effective as Kuro's, but as aggravating to her as if he had cursed her until sunset. Kakashi's ears caught the unpleasant sound of her teeth grinding together, eyes hardening to something that could shatter diamond. If looks could kill, then she would have been arrested for genocide, provided the law enforcement could get close enough without becoming her next victims.

Turning away from them dismissively, the guard sloped off back to his chair, perched far enough from the edge to be out of range of any thrown weapons, but close enough that he could gloat at their predicament. Ah, this was the life. Never mind the police force, law or journalism; if you wanted to annoy or discriminate against people, then this was the job for you. He had just sank back into his comfortable deckchair and was fumbling for his drink, when he realised that one of the people at the wall had vanished. How very odd. Maybe one of them had taken the hint and taken off back down the road. His fingers probed the table beside his chair for that glass of lemon-tainted water. It seemed to have moved. Finally his fingers struck the cool, curved surface of his drink. Except it didn't seem to be balanced on the table anymore.

"Here's your drink". Venom dripped in the air.

As the gate smoothly slide open, Kakashi sauntered through the wide gap into the clean streets beyond, colourful banners hanging stretched across from one rooftop to another. He glanced up at the wall. "Are you done yet, Kurotaka?"

She vaulted over the wall, springing off the roof of a nearby house and the smooth surface of the encasing wall itself, bouncing nimbly to the ground. She grinned at him, a wicked smile ruining her otherwise innocent expression. "For some strange reason he decided very quickly to open the gates". Her voice was high pitched, so innocent it was sickening. Kakashi rolled his eyes. "And what "uncouth" tactics did you need to result to in order to get him to reach that decision?"

She raised her eyebrows at him in mock horror. "I?! Use uncouth, underhanded tactics to get my way?" She shook her head sorrowfully at him. "Perish the thought Kakashi-kun, don't you trust me?"

"About as much as I would trust the Kyuubi" he retorted, ignoring her gesture of mock surprise at his suspicious answer. 'Come on, Kurotaka. If you hurt him we need to report it and provide medical aid. We can't have Konoha gaining a reputation of being a den of mindless thugs".

She sighed, striding off down the street. "Don't worry yourself so much Kakashi. I offered him a very modest proposal and he accepted it. Both of us benefited, so you need not worry that I cheated an honest man".

He cursed inwardly to himself, walking after her. "And just what proposal would that have been?" He didn't really even need to ask. The male ninja were all aware that the Kunoichi received a very specialised form of taijutsu, as well as the standard forms trained to all students. It was a branch of martial arts designed by Kunoichi, for use by Kunoichi, in situations that male ninja usually didn't come across.

"He would be allowed to go on a man if I would be allowed to go on to the town. A fair transaction wouldn't you say?"

Kakashi dismissed the notion of answering that question. The results would be too dangerous to contemplate if he answered incorrectly.

.........

"What do you mean you won't admit ninja?!" demanded Kakashi at the counter of one of the town's inns. It was the third time they'd been refused and he had forced Kurotaka to sit outside and wait for him to come and invite her into the inn, rather than have her mar what scant feelings of goodwill were offered to the two Shinobi. She seemed to be running on automatic-insult at the moment and had gotten them thrown out of the last placements they had tried so far, so rather than face the risk of spending another night hungry in the open, he had decided to handle matters himself.

"We don't admit ninja", stated the staff member stubbornly. "There is no other way to put it".

"But why do you discriminate so openly against us?" Kakashi tried to reason with the older man. It was hard to try to tell someone that you were a reliable person when you were coated in dirt, twigs, grass and more than a little fragrant.

"Whenever we've had ninja in our inn, there have been incidents where furniture has been broken, maids injured and then the bills not paid afterwards". The man stared at Kakashi with narrowed eyes. It was as if he had x-ray vision that revealed the empty state of Kakashi's pockets.

He sighed. "Listen to me, please. My companion and I are exhausted and hungry. We solemnly promise not to harm either you, your staff or your property. I do not know what ninjas you have come across in the past, but I can assure you that you have been faced with the very worst examples of our behaviour and I am disgusted that it has actually taken place..." He was cut off by the man waving his hand in annoyance.

"We don't take ninja! How many times do I have to explain this to you? Try somewhere else and don't come back!"

Sorely tempted to practise his assassination skills on this impudent example of humanity in front of him, Kakashi gritted his teeth and strode out of the elegant building. Kurotaka was sitting by a fountain in the middle of the street, taking the opportunity to bathe her face and hands. She shook the water from her hair and rolled one eye at him. "Let me guess... knocked back?"

"Insultingly". He sighed and sat down on the fountain rim next to her. To his weary surprise she shuffled over closer to him and leant against his shoulder. He glanced down cautiously at her, uncertain of her motives. She didn't look up at him, but just rested there in a remarkable display of calmness. He hesitantly allowed himself to relax. There was no telling what she would do if there was a sudden mood swing, but for now, he found himself enjoying the feeling of her weight against his side. How very strange the last few days had been. It couldn't just be the lack of food, sleep and constant running. Something else was at work here. He didn't know what it was, but he didn't think he didn't like it. She yawned and snuggled closer. "I'm sick of running around. You make a great pillow, did you know that?".

He shuffled uncomfortably. Now this was truly unnerving him. He had to bring her back to her normal. Back to her normal, violent, offensive self. He stopped himself. Thinking about it; did he really want to return to that? She was an interesting person, but it would be even more interesting if they could have a conversation that didn't end in him being pushed into a hedge, hit on the head, insulted or running away lest he be assaulted by all of the above at once. Slowly, cautiously, he moved the arm she was leaning on until it wrapped around her shoulders. He felt her stiffen, surprised by his bolder action, but she didn't pull back, moving closer to the warmth and security he could offer.

How very, very odd this life had become.

...........

"This is not very moralistic".

"Really? You amaze me with your perceptiveness" Kakashi rolled his eyes at Kurotaka, who was standing, hand on hip behind him, glaring. They were currently stationed at the beginning of an open street-market, stalls crammed down the sides of the street bursting with colour and exotic aromas. Beaded jewellery, expensive fabrics and gaudy tapestries caught the eye from all angles, but what caught the eye of the ANBU member were the varieties of food on offer further down the aisle. Kurotaka stood a couple of metres behind him, mouth set in distaste.

"I'm disappointed in you, Kakashi. I wouldn't have thought that a member of the ANBU would be reduced to stealing from cheap stalls".

He rolled his eyes upwards. "Kurotaka-san, if you would rather go without food for spend the night rummaging through today's rubbish for sustenance, then you may, by all means, go ahead. However, if we expect to regain our strength and complete our mission, then we need to eat something more nourishing than garbage. Besides", he ran a careful eye down the stalls. "There is plenty of food there for everyone. It's not as if our eating leaves another to go hungry, and these merchants all look well off to me. It's not as if they'll go bankrupt".

"Fine, fine", she sighed in dismal tones, stepping down the street with him. "I just wish that there was a better way to do this".

"Begging won't help. It would just encourage people to watch us with disdain. We may not be able to get a roof over our heads, but we may as well get something to eat from them. Perhaps after a couple of losses on their part, they'll decide to be nicer to Shinobi".

She snorted, "I love your logic, Kakashi. Completely screwed".

"Why thank you", he eye-smiled at her. "At least it gets defined as "logic". It's a step up from "complete bullshit", which is what Masurao dubbed it last time I tried to justify an exploit". She shook her head in mock despair, "let's just get this over with".

For two talented Chuunin, such a simple task of making a collection of foodstuffs vanish with little or no notice taken by the owner of the goods was one that should, in theory, not take very long at all. However, despite Kakashi's decision not to beg for charity, they were treated with the same level of disdain usually afforded to beggars, as well as suspicion.

"You know what, if I see another person go cross-eyed trying to look down their nose at me, I may just rearrange their face for them", commented Kurotaka by means of light conversation as they met up again in a quiet alley to compare their spoils.

"That's very considerate of you", remarked Kakashi dryly, removing a small sack of rice from his Chuunin vest, "you should consider going into the medical cosmetics field, if you're feeling so generous. People usually pay a fortune to have their face disfigured".

"It's a good idea", she commented, divesting an assortment of vegetables from their hiding places within her kimono. Kakashi artfully averted his eyes, trying not to think how she'd gotten away with having food stashed between the folds of her clothing so easily. It occurred to him that a female would not have the same difficulties as a male would in explaining obtrusive bulges in their shirt. He hurried quashed this thought and returned his attentions to their combined supplies.

A small sack of rice, several vegetables, a packet of dried meat of indeterminate age and origin, some hard, flat bread and a sack of tree nuts. Not bad, considering their only problem was now how they were going to cook the rice without any utensils. Townspeople also tended to react in a most distressing manner when you started lighting fires around the place as well. How very superficial society was these days. Honestly, had they all forgotten that open-air fires were more traditional than stoves? Not everyone was an arsonist...

"What now? Do we go and steal some crockery?" asked Kurotaka, stretching and eying the food hungrily. "I think I could eat that rice raw now, rather than waste more time".

Kakashi's stomach growled, echoing his miserable thoughts. "We'll just have to improvise".

As it turned out, a pilfered iron bucket was the closest thing they were going to get to improvisation. After finding a nice spot on the outskirts of town, both Chuunin were stuffing their faces with little or no concern of what the townspeople would think of the campfire they had lit, nor the mess they were making in their haste to quell their desperate stomachs. Kakashi finished first, hastily replacing his mask. It would appear that he had been lucky this time, as Kurotaka was still devouring her own portion of rice, mixed with half of everything else they had come across. Saving food for later hadn't occurred to either of them. More could... "exchange ownership" later, when the time called for it. For now, it was just nice to get rid of one of the aches that had become a constant in their lives. Kakashi lay back, ignoring the bite of the rubble beneath him. Fatigue dominated his senses. After finally eating, he just wanted to drift away and let the world do what it wanted...

There was a rap on his forehead as Kurotaka finished eating and tapped him with her knuckles. "Don't fall asleep here. Gravel isn't the most therapeutic of blankets. You'll end up feeling even worse.".

"I fail to see how that's possible", retorted Kakashi, but he staggered to his feet all the same. "Do you suppose we could find a convenient doorway to sleep in tonight?" His voice was sarcastic, but his heart wasn't in it. He just wanted to curl up and rest somewhere and forget this whole stupid exam until he had enough energy to breathe without effort. Kurotaka was regarding him carefully.

"What's wrong?" he asked her wearily. "Do I have rice on my mask again?"

"No. You just don't look so well. Do you feel alright?" Her face was troubled, eyes searching his anxiously.

"I'm fine... just... tired". But something wasn't right. His eyes dragged downwards, even as the darkness began to swirl, beckoning him away from the light and into its soft, numbing depths. As he fell into nothingness, he heard a distant scream and the vague sensation of falling, even as someone leapt to catch him.

..........

Wild-filly: a cliffhanger... or something like it...how very remarkable – update coming just as soon as I can Review please!!!!!!


	11. Chapter 10

Wild-filly: Yay! Fifty four reviews! Special thanks to Steel Jaguar, Grummur, Veve, kimpster and hieiluver for their aid.

In reply to comments received, I am very grateful for all of your encouragement – that's what makes it all worthwhile and I just can't thank you all enough for it In excuse for my grammar slips, it's that I usually don't update very often, so when I finally complete a chapter, I'm in such a rush to post it that the most glaring of errors don't appear to me until its too late -- I promise to be more careful in future in order to ensure that the flow of the story isn't jeopardized. Yes, Kurotaka is a bit of a clique in some ways... what can I say? She has a bit more to her, but I'm afraid that yes, I am basically using the "standard Uchiha" model – can you forgive me, Veve? As far as my sketches of Kurotaka go, I'm still arguing with the computer about that situation but I think I may have found a solution... Once again, I'll keep you posted And on with the chapter!

............

Okumen Gokurakuchou: Chapter 10

............

The cold bite of stone jabbed at his body, so suddenly stricken and weak on the ground. He muzzily forced his eyes open, darkness crawling, lurking like a malevolent fog at the edges of his vision. It took every ounce of his will power not to let his eyes roll back into his head and unconsciousness wash over him in its warm, dulling waves. He couldn't let himself go; not here, not in such obvious danger. Something was terribly wrong with him and there was no way he would surrender his awareness without a fight. His deadened senses reported that apart from the sharpness of the flinty gravel around him, his head and torso were being supported by someone's body.

A soft pair of hands took his face, cradling his head upwards and towards the afternoon light that now seen so alien and offensive. Squinting his exhausted eyes up at Kurotaka, he found her own anxious blue searching his face in earnest.

"Kakashi! What's wrong with you? Can you speak?" Her voice was shrill, panicky, cool hands clasped around his face.

His tongue tentatively built a couple of syllables, rasping out of his throat. "I... don't know". That was a lie. One couldn't receive so much training in the ANBU without learning to recognise the symptoms of poisoning. Inwardly he cursed himself. Why hadn't he been more cautious? It had been far too easy to take that food... But then again, why hadn't Kurotaka suffered the same effects? Too many questions sprung to mind, cluttering his already-stressed brain, dragging the shadows even further over his eyes. As if she understood Kakashi's inner conflicts, Kurotaka slapped him on the cheek, glaring at him venomously.

"Don't you dare fall asleep now. If you leave me to sort out his issue by myself, I swear I'll kill you".

Despite the obvious answer to his order, the lack of energy forced Kakashi to bite his tongue and continue his struggle to keep consciousness. He lay there, partially supported upright by Kurotaka, her midnight tresses trailing off her own shoulders and down into his face. She peeled off her pack and started frantically rummaging through its depths, yet carefully not jolting him. The white brush-tips tickled something terrible as she moved, but in doing so they served as a deterrent from sleeping. Finally she straightened, clasping what looked like a scroll and a packet of dried weeds to his heavy eyes.

"I don't think you've been poisoned. It's definitely not a poison... Poison would have a more dramatic effect... unless" She was thinking out loud, tracing her way down the scroll as though she was hastily revising answers just before an Academy exam. He tried and failed to roll his eyes in exasperation, as what scant energy reserves he had left failed him. "Drowsiness, lack of coordination, weakness.... Kakashi, do you think you can stand up?"

Could he stand up? What kind of a question was that?! Did she think he would deliberately lie there in her lap, cushioned by her ample... oh. Maybe it was a good question after all. Gingerly he shook his head once, mouth too tired to form words any more. Even that slight movement sapped him of yet more strength. Bright spots danced in his vision, pupils sliding upwards and threatening to roll back entirely. His will was weakening even as she dumped the scroll on the ground and started to probe through the bunch of dead flowers. At last he could hold the fatigue back no longer, relaxing his hold on his eyelids and letting him close, sending him into blissful peace, all of the earthly aches of life seeming to drain away. The pain in his muscles, the nagging pain of the rocks and the bone-exhaustion of his body faded to the slightest of memories. His mind was cushioned, warm and safe in its own little dark world. Numbly he thought to himself, if this is dying, then I'm not so sure it's all that bad...

Then the darkness was waning, intrusive flashes of light invading his quiet, warm recluse. The aches of his joints were returning, jabbing his nerves violently as though anxious to make up for lost time. A foul, bitter taste rose in his mouth, clenching his stomach until his eyes flew open, just in time to plant his arms on the ground and wretch. He vomited spasmodically, as though his body was reuniting itself with its separate limbs and muscles in turn.

"Welcome back to the world", came the crisp tones of his temporarily forgotten companion, as he wretched miserably and then sat up again, hastily replacing his mask.

"I had no idea how much I missed it", he answered sarcastically, muscles trembling as he folded his arms. Inside though, he was a little concerned. She had had to pull his mask off in order to give him whatever hideous drug had purged him of the intoxicant. Had she actually seen his face entirely?

She sighed, reaching over to pat him on the shoulder wearily. "That's nice. Just please, the next time you want to overdose on sleeping pills, make sure that its someone else's problem other than mine. I don't particularly like having to restart my heart and then remember the combination of herbs to make someone vomit".

"Sleeping pills?"

"Yes, sleeping pills. It would seem that that wasn't a bag of nuts you picked up. It's just as well I'm allergic, so I didn't take any".

He nodded dumbly, but inside he wracked his brains. There was no way that he'd have mistaken medicine for food. He'd received far too extensive an education for that. Someone must have planted them, or maybe even switched them when he wasn't looking. That would have taken a very skilled Shinobi though. One capable of moving at both swift and virtually undetectable speeds. Was this yet another phase of the Jounin exam? Attempted poisoning was a far sneakier tactic than open attack; one that even the strongest of fighters wouldn't be immune to. It was likely that this particular opponent was faster than he was strong and had been hoping to weaken both Chuunin before making his move to dispose of them. Kurotaka's allergy couldn't have come at a better time.

"Come on". She jerked her head towards the road. "We can't sleep out here in the street. There's bound to be a more sheltered area for us to crash in".

Nodding, Kakashi stumbled to his feet, fatigue mixing with nausea and the exhaustion that already lingered in his body from the hard travelling. Rolling her eyes, Kurotaka offered him an arm to lean on and he grudgingly accepted, walking like a scarecrow down the road as the sun set and threw amber rays over the two bedraggled Chuunin.

..........

The faint morning light had deepened almost to the harsh rays of afternoon by the time Kakashi woke, hunger burning inside of him and muscles aching everywhere. Perhaps wedging himself between the two walls of a very narrow alley hadn't been the brightest of ideas after all. Unfolding himself and feeling something like a decrepit deckchair, he made his swaying way out of the alley and into the street, heading straight for the fountain. Regardless of the scandalised stares he attracted from the local merchants going about their usual wares, he plunged his head right into the icy waters of the delicate, marble fountain. The cold stung the little scrapes his face and hands had picked up over their travels, banishing the feelings of fatigue still clinging from yesterday and only emphasising his hunger. Resurfacing and gasping for breath, he quietly watched the turbulent surface of the water, rippling as droplets that clung to his face returned to the shallow pool. Who was that tired, grubby ninja staring back at him? Some embarrassing acquaintance he would be better off without, that's who....

"Finally alive? I was beginning to wonder if you'd retained some of those pills after all". Kurotaka shuffled cheerfully over to him, seeming unnaturally happy for one who was stranded penniless in the middle of a foreign town that felt neither of them much by way of good will. Intrigued, he turned to face her, shedding even more droplets onto the street. He blinked in frank disbelief.

She was scrubbed spotless; her skin flushed and glowing, hair scented and sleeked back into a bun, apart from the white tips that cascaded from the base of it like spray from a waterfall. Very cliqued, but nice either way. Her grubby and torn short kimono had been replaced by one of the same length and dark blue, but this one was remarkably cleaner and not yet shredded by the trials of running through woods with and without a path. She grinned at him. "Did you have a good rest?"

Feeling exceptionally shabby and highly suspicious, he stood up from his crouched position in front of the fountain. "What favour did you fall into while I was out?" His tone was snappish, but then again, the situation was a little unfair. She chuckled appreciatively, seeming to enjoy his annoyance.

"Come now Kakashi, the people here aren't so horrible as they'd leave a defenceless young woman out in the cold would they?"

He snorted, "surely you didn't let them believe that?" He wasn't so worried about the danger Kurotaka could have potentially been in, had she come across the wrong people during her charade, but about the integrity of her words and their affect on both Chuunin. What far-fetched story had she spun in order to get so much pity?

"Of course I did! What do I look like to you?" She shook her head in mock frustration. "Don't be so bitter, Kakashi. I included you in my little sob story as well".

"Oh? And just what role do I play in this little fairytale of yours?" He hissed through gritted teeth. Just when his morning couldn't get any more pretentious, a certain infuriating someone had to go and invent a whole new problem for him to face.

"A fairytale... now why didn't I think of that earlier?" She laughed, "I doubt you would have done much justice in the role of a prince, but probably no worse than I would a maiden in distress... No Kakashi, I told them the truth and strangely enough, they believed me. Now wasn't that odd of them? And it just so happens that I was accepted so well into their fold that they told me to bring you to them for help as well. Wasn't that kind of them, and of me to mention you?"

He rolled his eyes. It was annoying to be indebted to one so irritating at times like this. "Yes... it was very kind of you". He could feign gratefulness at least and get his own back in some other way later.

She nodded cheerfully and jogged up the street, beckoning imperiously for him to follow. Glowering under his mask, Kakashi trooped slowly after her, plotting grim vengeance as he went.

As it turned out, Kurotaka had gone to one of the most obvious places for aid – a place of religious significance. At the little Shinto shrine, she had only had to put on her most pathetic expression and ask a middle-aged couple for some spare change to buy food in order to be given by them a free room, meal and clothing. Ordinarily Kakashi would have written this off as shamefully devious, but for now... they really were both charity cases.

The couple's house was small and neat, elegantly furnished with traditional Japanese fittings, flooring and walls. It was one of the most elegant places he had ever been. It was such a shame that he had to shed dirt all over it as he staggered in from the street, looking like something that had been living in the woods all its life. Kurotaka bounded ahead of him, bowing courteously to their benefactors.

"Odayaka-san, Yogensha-san... this is my team mate – Hatake Kakashi. He is very grateful to you both for including him in your generosity". Her voice was oddly mellow, syrupy tones completely uncharacteristic for her. He slid one eye over to her in slight amazement. He wasn't aware just how sweetly innocent she could pretend to be. With that gentle smile and huge, almost chibi-esque eyes, he was surprised they hadn't simply handed her over the deeds to the house. Butter wouldn't melt in her mouth. It was quite sickening to behold...

"Hatake-san, you are a ninja as well?" The older man addressed him directly, iron-ore eyes flinty as they turned from Kurotaka and seized his. Kakashi returned it, "hai, sir. I am a Chuunin of Hidden Konoha".

"And precisely what do you do to earn a living?" The question was harsh, even mocking. Kurotaka sidled from foot to foot, obviously uncomfortable. It would appear that she had been spared these questions last night. Kakashi however, was not so endearing to the man as she.

He stiffened, "I am afraid that I cannot betray the nature of my employment to one who is not a high-ranking ninja, sir. I apologise, but those in my field are also under the same restriction".

"You're a spy?" The grey eyes narrowed. "I might have guessed".

"Not a spy", corrected Kakashi. This man was annoying him. Why did everyone just want to annoy him lately? Maybe he wouldn't be so easy to offend after he'd had a chance to eat something that wasn't drugged, but for now, he was not in the mood for verbal games.

"Then what are you? I don't let just anyone into my house. Your team-mate is perfectly agreeable, but I don't trust people who keep their face covered and don't answer a few simple questions".

Kurotaka; perfectly agreeable?! That did it.

"Very well". The words slid like icy venom from his throat, eyes piercing those of his interrogator. "The nature of my employment is one that I am not restricted to reveal at all. I just prefer not to mention it to those who have offered me aid, by my way of thanks. Do you truly wish to know what I am?"

Taken aback slightly at the coldness in Kakashi's words, the man rasped a quick intake of breath and exchanged glances with his wife, who was shaking her head pointedly at her husband. Kakashi noticed, to some slight amusement, that a mental struggle took place between both of them, with the husband losing. With a disdainful sniff, he strode off into one of the side rooms, without a word to either ninja or his wife.

"Please forgive my husband, good Shinobi", smiled Odayaka benignly. "I am sure he doesn't mean to offend. Please, come this way. There is food and hot water available until you are ready to leave on your task". With a shallow bow, she escorted both of them through into a dining room and hurried away to bring in a great steaming bowl of rice to them. Excusing herself, she disappeared and left both Chuunin to kneel and eat. Raised voices could be heard further down the corridors. Rice paper walls were not as soundproof as they were pretty.

Kurotaka finally broke their silence after ten minutes. "Would you really have told him what you do?" Her voice was low, careful not to be overheard, despite the yelling match in a different room.

"Hn?" It was so hard to formulate answers around a mouthful of jasmine rice.

"What would you have told him?"

"The truth". He swallowed the mouthful hurriedly, replaced his mask and shuffled around to face her. He had adopted the strategy of eating with his back towards her. It looked a little odd, but was a far easier method to speed-eating and then suffering indigestion.

"And what would that be?" There was a hesitant note of curiosity in her voice, her eyes flickering ever so slightly to meet his.

"I'm a romance writer".

"YOU'RE A WHAT?!" Her rice bowl slipped from her hands, hit the low table and ricocheted onto her robe.

"You didn't think I would tell him the truth did you?" He eye smiled at her. It was quite amusing to see someone else covered in rice for a change. Words couldn't do her facial expression justice either. The combined look of rage, disgust, humour and rice was simply priceless. Her sudden disregard for keeping her voice low also added to the humour of the picture as well. She couldn't seem to formulate a response above an incomprehensible spluttering.

"Come now, Kurotaka, do you think I would be stupid enough to tell him that I'm an assassin? All I had to do was think of an employment that people don't usually want to admit to".

"But a smut writer?! Come on Kakashi, I don't think he would have fallen for that".

"Oh? I'm hurt, I really am. I would like to think of myself as a connoisseur of these writings".

"Please. I didn't need to know that".

..........

It was so pleasant to feel clean again, thought Kakashi to himself as they ran ninja-style across a wide field. It was also pleasant not to be weaving continually between trees as well. Konoha was only a day or so away if they could maintain this pace. It would be wonderful to be back home.

Kurotaka jerked one hand in front of her, glancing down at the compass clasped in her palm. She gave a brief nod to Kakashi and sped up, loping easily over the long grasses. He hadn't the heart to tell her that he now knew exactly where they were going. He was back on the home stretch – the race back to Konoha after a mission. How long had it been since his last long-haul challenge? Racing alongside his masked companions, leaving behind the painful emotions associated with what they had just done for the good of the nation. Not long enough for his liking.

Something flickered on the edge of his vision. Instinct took over.

"Kuro! Down!" He leapt forward and shoved, using his momentum to send her sprawling to the ground, rolling in the grass with him tangled in her limbs. He sprang away from her and ducked, even as a volley of arrows fired overhead. Kurotaka gave a growl, spitting out a mouthful of grass that her fall accumulated, but didn't say anything offensive. It was better to be grass-stained and moderately offended than blood-stained and moderately dead.

Kakashi squinted carefully from where he was crouched, trying to sight the location of their attackers. There didn't seem to be anyone in view. A trap perhaps? He gazed critically down the length of the field, until it caught his eye. The faint glitter of Chakra wire, barely five metres away behind them. Kurotaka must have snapped it as she ran; that was the problem with increasing the power of one's own Chakra; it made it harder for you to notice weaker strains of those belonging to other people. It was much harder to hide Chakra wire from a rookie than it was hiding it from a talented ninja with a huge Chakra supply.

Kurotaka hissed under her breath, "crossbow under Chakra camouflage". She pointed to a clump of grass a couple of hundred metres away that stuck out at odd angles. Carefully she drew a handful of shuriken from her leg holster and threw them in a wide volley. The Chakra shield deflected one and then crumbled as another caught it seconds afterwards, exposing a masked and hooded figure wielding a crossbow.

Kakashi joined Kurotaka's assault with a shuriken of his own, expertly nicking the crossbow string and disabling the weapon. Their attacker dropped the bow, not bothering to try restringing it and leapt back into the grass and what cover it could offer. Kakashi sent another handful of throwing knives after the trail of parting grass. There was a small shriek and then no other sound. Coldly, he turned back to where Kurotaka was crouched, only to be launched upon by another masked person, yowling as he drove a haggard sword down to where Kakashi was kneeling on the ground.

Reacting with an educated grace, Kakashi drew his own katana from the leather sheath across his back and blocked overhead, the two blades grinding and sparking as they caught. He sprang backwards, katana curving in delicate, warning arcs. This was not a sword meant to block and counter other swords; it was designed to cut through whatever it came across. At the right angle, he could shear his enemy's blade in two, and next time, he wouldn't miss.

Teasing his blade towards his opponent, making the other swordsman dance hastily out of the katana's path, he glanced surreptitiously for where Kurotaka had disappeared to. She had vanished it would seem. Whether she had been attacked while he wasn't looking or had snuck away to gain a tactical advantage, he didn't know. Either way, his attentions where somewhat taken for now.

The swordsman moved in, blade flashing and cutting into Kakashi's defences, forcing him to step back and consider his options. The skills of this random attacker were not vast. Judging by his strikes, Kakashi could disarm and put the man out of action to question him or simply dispose of him quickly and look for Kurotaka. The former would take longer, but prove more useful in determining a motive, the latter appealed to him much more. Now wasn't time for games, but he needed some information.

With a decisive thrust of his katana and nimble flick, he caught his opponent's sword at the hilt and sheared the blade from it, sending the stunted sword spinning from the man's grasp. Advancing on the stunned ex-swordsman, Kakashi lazily planted the tip of the blade on the man's chest.

"Kindly don't try to run. I'd have to make an awful mess if you did".

The man nodded slowly, face as white as a sheet, or at least what was visible of it under the mottled grey mask. He stood stock-still, not offering the least motive for Kakashi to cleave him in half.

"Two questions. Give me the two answers I want and you can run off. Give me two bad answers and you can run off, but not get very far... do you understand?"

He nodded again, fingers twitching at his sides.

"That's nice. Now, tell me. Why have you attacked me?"

His attacker stared sullenly at the ground. "I'm not permitted to tell".

"Oh dear, that wasn't a good answer. Would you like to try again?" Kakashi lightly put more pressure on the katana, pricking the skin. He had to be careful; this blade could very easily cut through flesh, with or without him intending to.

"We're thieves. Is that good enough?" The man spat contemptuously at him. Kakashi regarded him thoughtfully, "good enough for now I suppose. Second question; where is my team mate?"

"She's fighting one of the others".

"Really? I don't see or hear any fighting".

"That's because they're in a Chakra cage".

Kakashi's teeth gritted. "Change of plan, you can run after you open this cage". He tightened his stance, anger boiling in his veins.

"I can't do that. Only her and the ninja she's sparring can. I don't even know why he attacked with us. He wasn't part of our group".

Kakashi felt his blood run cold. "What's that supposed to mean?" He stared at the blank space of empty field behind the man. Somewhere, Kuro was trapped in there, engaged in a death match and he couldn't help her.

"I mean he's not part of our... gang of thieves... he's a good ninja, one of the policing force. He shouldn't be associating himself with us". The hooded man was frank, unashamed of his social standing.

"Who is he?" He had to ask, even though he knew the answer in the pit of his stomach.

"One of the Uchiha clan of course. Really perceptive one you are".

"Why would an Uchiha be with you?" His hands were numb, the katana slackening in his grasp. This couldn't be happening.

"I just told you, I don't know!" The man could obviously sense Kakashi's weakness, for he twisted to one side, drawing a concealed dagger and plunging it towards his opponent's ribs. Almost automatically, Kakashi blocked the dagger, not with his sword, but with a swift mawashigeri jodan. The hooded "thief" crumpled to the ground. A direct hit to the side of the head with the flat of Kakashi's foot. Consciousness was not an option.

Completely disregarding the man, Kakashi stepped towards the space. There was only one way he knew for breaking Chakra prisons, and it would involve the use of a technique he had only previously used for assassination.

.....

wild-filly: will update as soon as I can... how very strange that I seem to be coming up with cliff hangers... Please review!


	12. Chapter 11

Wild-filly: Wow! Great response there. Thanks heaps to everyone who reviewed, including JapanAnimeGirl, Veve, Magicians of the Yami, Grummer, kimpster, itsme and princessares for their support and comments. Thank you for the support Grummer! Lol, school, friends and a successful future weren't to blame for the sluggish update – one foul literature essay was. I'm sorry, but if anything can give you writer's block, it's having to analyse Ibsen's "A Doll's House" before being allowed to update fanfiction -- Trust me, the delay wasn't my idea. But either way – on with the chapter!

Disclaimer: Don't own don't sue. I think we all know the gist...

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Okumen Gokurakuchou: Chapter 11

.........

Hands flicked into a blur of seals. In his haste he nearly fumbled the sequence, but grimly recovered, lowering his head, hands clasped tightly together. His anger and fear blended with the Chakra boiling through his blood, drawing from his inner core and draining out into his hands. The characteristic blue tongues of flame flickered, licking the air and crackling in their strange, high-pitched squealing. A bead of sweat rolled down his cheek in effort. He seldom used this attack for anything other than the most essential of assassinations. There were plenty of other, inferior jutsu he could use to dispatch an opponent with, but only against skilled ninja would he actually us his own signature attack, one which he had been perfecting since his days at the Academy. No one he had used the Raikiri against had ever lived to describe him the feeling of having a hand thrust through them like a blue-flamed spear. Not that it took much imagination to get the gist of the feeling.

Time was short. He didn't know how or what Kurotaka was doing in there, but this technique took time to charge. He thrust this inner necessity into his energy supply, driving out even more Chakra until the blue flames shot out, dangerously dancing in a colourful electric display around his body and over his head, sparking off long grass as it was blown haphazardly by the force of his energy emittance. His hand no longer felt like a hand. It was a weapon, alien to his body, yet subservient to it. The feeling of invincibility, the feeling of raw power coursed through his system, filling him with a seemingly immune confidence. He could help her. He could free her.

Wordlessly he surged forward, feet beating the ground with a grim purpose as he thrust his hand out before him. He knew he was running blindly, but the Raikiri would penetrate the shield the instant it made contact with it, so he need only run in systematic circles for a little while until he found it. It couldn't be too far.

In fact, it was even closer than he thought. He had barely taken half of his first circle charge when his hand froze, blue sparks grating off an unseen force field. Gritting his teeth, he poured yet more power into his hand, drawing it back and then punching with every ounce of strength he could muster to his shoulder. There was a violent, piercing shriek as Chakra met Chakra in a fierce battle of wills. The prison fractured, blue fissures erupting over the arc of the invisible dome. With one more shove, Kakashi thrust his hand through the unseen wall and shattered the dome, raining down crystalline shards of pure Chakra. This was a formidable opponent with huge reserves at his disposal.

Staring into the rain of glittering Chakra shards, Kakashi found the outlines and then the images of two figures, sparring viciously. One was Kurotaka, her hair torn free from its white cord and flying in front of her face, making her expression unreadable. Despite the flurry of dark tresses though, he could make out the distinctive glint of the Sharingan eye; three black flecks spinning as they read the movements of her murderous attacker.

The one who she was fighting, Kakashi did not recognise save for the fact that he was of the Uchiha clan. His hair was as dark as Kurotaka's, his eyes the same three-tick Sharingan as her's, but there was obviously no family affection here. About two feet taller than her, the man towered over Kuro and continued to make forceful strikes towards her head, aiming for the lethal points whenever she failed to defend them. Neither could use genjutsu, nor effective Chakra attacks as they were too evenly matched; reduced instead into waiting for one to tire and their opponent to deliver the final blow. There was little Kakashi could do. Charging in with the Raikiri still burning in his grasp could as likely injure Kuro as her opponent. He need not actually step into the fight, he only had to draw attention away from it, or at least separate the two fighters.

He allowed the Raikiri to power down, reaching with his other hand for the summoning scroll in his Chuunin vest pocket. Biting his thumb, smearing the written surface of the scroll with blood and swiftly forming the series of hand signs, he placed the scroll to the ground.

"Earth Tracking Fang no jutsu!"

The trick here lay in the fact that he had not told the dogs to attack a specific opponent. From under the ground, a great rumbling, roaring arose, causing the two fighters to pause and break away from each other, breath heaving and sweat dripping. Kurotaka was bleeding from nicks to her face, caught by a kunai grasped in the fist of her Uchiha opponent, who was cradling a hand to his chest, pierced by her own knife. She didn't even dare to take one eye from her hulking attacker to look questioningly at Kakashi, nor did the Uchiha male. It was this silent standoff that allowed the dogs to surface.

Snarling and snapping a great pack of dogs of assorted breeds and sizes erupted from the ground, teeth flashing and clicking together as they grasped for the limbs of the two Uchiha Shinobi. Kakashi winced as he heard Kurotaka's pain-filled shriek. She was going to kill him for this later. However, the grunts of the other Uchiha as he failed to dodge the attacks of the largest of the dogs signified the success of Kakashi's plan. Now both ninja were distracted and temporarily held.

'You guys, let go of her. She's on our side" He gestured towards the handful of dogs gripping firmly onto Kuro's wrists and ankles. She had been smart enough not to struggle, so her wounds from their bite-grips would not be so severe. He had instructed them on this matter very carefully after Masurao had come across the wrong end of this attack on one mission when they were Genin.

The dogs instantly let go of Kurotaka, nudging her in an almost apologetic fashion with their noses and moving to stand beside her on the grass as she sank onto her knees, trying to regain her breath as she tentatively probed her dog bites. Kakashi tried not to look at her, directing his attention instead to the glowering Uchiha. He noted that Pakkun had seized the man in a most effective grasp, hence his distinct lack of movement, lest he incur the small dog's wrath and distinctly ruin any chances he had of starting a family. That pug really was the most evil creature he'd ever met. Apart from that stupid seagull that had taken off on its own when both Chuunin started becoming desperate for food.

"One of the honoured Uchiha clan... I am confused as to why you would be out here alone, and even more confused as to the reason for your attacking my comrade". He spoke lightly, respectfully. The policing force of Konoha was one of the most respected families out there, so despite the situation, he felt that he should afford the man some courtesy.

"I don't have to answer to you, ANBU" The man spat contemptuously, voice laced with anger and arrogance. "This is a matter that involves the Uchiha clan only. You're not required here".

"I'm not one of the Uchiha clan!" Kurotaka struggled to her feet, crimson eyes flashing despite her denial. "I never have nor will be!"

"Too true that", sneered the captive Shinobi. "You are an insult to our family name and no insult goes unpunished".

Kakashi shook his head. "I mean no disrespect to you, not your clan. However attempted murder is something that I cannot respect, no matter the family. Please explain your actions, or I will be forced to deal with them appropriately". To emphasise his point, he drew his katana out from its metallic sheath and wrested it competently in his grasp. The technique of using the dogs to hold a target still and then dispatching of the target with his katana was one of his cruder assassination methods, but none the less effective.

The Uchiha paled, but straightened again, wincing as the huge bulldog on his back sank his fangs in a little deeper. "This is not attempted murder, ANBU. This is removal of an impurity, the removal of an insult to our family name. This wench you see before you is nothing but the result of an unclean coupling and does not have any right to carry the prized Uchiha blood in her veins".

Kakashi's fingers tightened their grasp and he advanced on the crippled man, eyes like chips of black ice.

"I would reconsider those words of yours, friend, as they are an insult to me as much as they are an insult to Kurotaka-san. It is not for you to judge the worthiness of someone to carry a bloodline, nor is it for you to judge when someone may live or die".

Blood trickling from the gouges in the limbs and back of the Uchiha as he gritted his teeth. The man flashed Kakashi a grimacing smile, leering at the approaching Chuunin. 'Then how am I different from you, you hypocrite?" He flung the words with a venomous hatred at the young ANBU. "I know what you do for a living; taking lives without question, without remorse. I am no more a monster than you are. At least this bitch has actually caused offence to me; whereas you go out and kill people you've never even met. Damned hypocrite!" His eyes burned with a hatred like no other Kakashi had ever seen.

He froze, his own eyes burning, yet a shadow of pain-filled doubt flooded in from the back of his mind. This man spoke the truth, the hated, loathsome truth of the very core of his life. How often had his hands been bloodied and how often had that blood been justified... His thoughts were interrupted by Kurotaka's reply.

"At least Kakashi-kun does not kill those he hates. He has been trained as a weapon and used as such. Is a sword to be blamed for murder? A sword cannot murder; a sword has no motive other than to serve. The one who did the murdering was the one who held the sword; the one who gave it it's commands and ensured that the sword had no other choice other than to obey. You, on the other hand, are both the sword and its bearer, so where is your justification?" She was glaring with an intense hatred at the trapped Uchiha, who stared at her as if she were something less than dirt.

"So philosophical now, creature of filth?" The sneer was not so confident now, as Kakashi seemed to redeem control of himself, shaking his head to clear the doubts that plagued his mind. Kurotaka spoke truth, but he had to frighten this monster away. He strode right up to the Uchiha, looking him straight in the eye. The young man, no older than he, didn't seem to let his confidence waver, looking back at Kakashi without fear and an unswaying confidence in the fact that the ANBU member would not dare to harm him. With a careful, calculated slice, Kakashi cut one muscle in each of the Uchiha's upper arms in a swift, clean gash.

The man let out a shriek and the dogs vanished in a cloud of smoke, letting him sag to the ground, clasping his bloodied arms. He stared up from the ground at Kakashi, eyes watery with horror and pain.

"YOU! You...you cut me". Disbelief was rampant across his face, pain washing over his expression.

"Yes", replied Kakashi, tone flat and unemotional. "I did more than cut you though. I severed a main muscle in each of your arms. You will not be able to raise them in order to attack Kurotaka nor myself, nor form hand seals. If you aren't careful, you will lose too much blood or use of your arms altogether".

The fear intensified and the young man shrieked, a sound filled with terror. 'You're going to let me die like this?"

"No". The monotone revealed nothing. "Even though you would have taken Kurotaka's life, I will not take yours. I'm not a murderer. So I will let you run off, to run to get aid. However if you come after her again I will not be so lenient".

The man's eyes widened, Sharingan darkening back to the vivid black of the Uchiha. Staggering to his feet, he ran as though drunk, arms swaying strangely as he let fear fuel his speed and took off across the plains. Both Kakashi and Kurotaka watched him until he drifted out of sight.

With a regretful sigh, Kakashi dragged the blade of the katana across the long grass, wiping it clean before resheathing it. He strode over to Kurotaka, eyes tentatively meeting hers.

"Are you alright?" She averted her eyes, rubbing at the toothmarks on her wrists.

"Fine".

"He is not truly in so much danger. Those cuts were more superficial than anything else, but they hurt enough to scare him into believing they were life-threatening. For one with such a high level of Sharingan, he was not very well trained. Probably lived the sheltered life of a genius".

She didn't answer him, so he walked on wearily, hearing her fall into step behind him. He sighed again. 'Look, if you're angry with me because I stole your fight I..."

"Thank you".

"I beg your pardon?" That wasn't the response he was expecting. He halted in amazement as she walked on past him as though he were still striding ahead of her.

"I don't think I could have defeated him if you hadn't stepped in. And I thank you for standing up for me". The words weren't even choked, it was as if she was actually being sincere instead of grudging. Still dumbfounded, Kakashi shuffled after her.

"I need to thank you as well Kurotaka, for supporting me..." He trailed off. This situation was pitifully awkward. He hadn't a clue what to say next. She was watching him out the corner of her eye, seeming to be measuring him up. He didn't like that stare. He didn't like anything about this whole moment. It was time for a quick getaway.

"Come on. We're very close to Konoha now. If we sprint, we can make it before it gets too dark".

............

Well they had made it. Using his embarrassment to push himself on, they had reached the gates of Konoha village at about 10pm. Twas such a shame that the gates now wouldn't open until the next morning, and there wasn't a chance that Kurotaka would try to insult this gatekeeper. For a start, there wasn't a gatekeeper.

"Typical", she growled, massaging her calf muscles miserably. "We're so close to civilisation and yet so far". She ambled off the road and through the forest around the walls of the village. "Come on. One more night in the open won't kill us".

"You're being surprisingly agreeable about this", commented Kakashi dryly as he staggered after her. The cunning network of shrubbery that existed solely to trip unsuspecting morons stumbling around in the dark was coming into its forte right now.

She shook her head, ponytail-tips glowing in the darkness ahead of him. "No, I'm trying to be peaceable. Peaceable and agreeable aren't the same thing".

"I fail to see how", grumbled Kakashi, pausing to rub a nice new gash on his forearm courtesy of an overgrown gorse bush. He was tired, hungry, grubby, sore and stumbling around in the dark accompanied only by a homicidal chick who kept giving him funny looks, an army of aggressive bushes and somewhere, a vengeful, obnoxious seagull. In other words, life was not so great and the fact he was so close to making life better, yet incapable of reaching this salvation just made it even worse.

"Here's the stream. You clear a space for us to rest while I get washed" she ordered. Muttering under his breath, Kakashi trooped back the way he came, stamping the local shrubbery into submission and preparing for yet another long night.

Dawn couldn't come fast enough for either Shinobi. The ground proved antisocially hard and after turning over in his sleep, Kakashi awoke rather more soon than planned as he discovered yet another line of thistles waiting to attack as soon as his guard was down. Wakened by the sweetly melodic intonements of Kakashi swearing like a hard-core rapper, Kurotaka suggested that they both go start hammering on the gate and waiting for the gatekeeper to remove the barricades for the night and let them in.

"Pleeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaassssssssseeeeee... somebody hear us!" moaned Kurotaka, bashing her head off the solid wood of the gates.

Kakashi stared miserably at her, the lack of sleep showing plainly in his eyes. "Let me guess... we picked the only day of the week when the gate-keeper gets the day off".

"Don't say that Kakashi, I really don't need your encouragement in order to despair". Kurotaka stopped her head bashing to roll one pathetic eye at him. "I think we're sentenced to a life of torture ever since we enrolled in this stupid exam".

A resonating squawk echoed overhead as the recently-illusive resident seagull swooped back onto the scene, perching on Kurotaka's shoulder cheerfully and squawking his salutations. She winced at the grating screech, but stroked his feathers amiably. "How've you been doing, Guntou?"

Kakashi snorted, "that bird's as good as Pakkun when it comes to leaving as soon as the workload gets tough".

Kurotaka opened her mouth to rebuke him, but a voice rode over the sounds of the wilderness.

"Who's out there?"

Kakashi nearly fainted with relief. "Masurao! It's me!"

"Kakashi?! Hang on a minute!" There was a series of thuds and clanks, as heavy bolts and wooden planks were withdrawn, followed by a low moaning as the great gates were swung slowly open to reveal Masurao, still garbed in his favourite dark green gi and grinning widely.

"What the hell have you two been doing to end up looking like that?" His voice was incredulous, laughing at the same time as he stepped forward to clasp his best friend into a brief hug. Kurotaka smiled wanly at him, "survival training of the worst kind. I can't thank you enough for letting us in".

"No problem at all", the grin was still strident on Masurao's face. "Come on! You two go get sorted out and I'll meet you at the ramen stand, hurry up!"

........

Having bathed three times, Kakashi still wasn't convinced that his skin had returned to its normal colour, but with a change of clothes and a couple of hours rest he was almost feeling entirely himself again. He, Masurao and Kurotaka were now hunched over their deep bowls of miso ramen, indulging in the rations that their stomachs had been clamouring for. Not so hungry as they, Masurao filled the absence of conversation in favour of eating by himself.

"I got lucky I suppose, since I was dropped off in a bit of forest not so far from here. The most logical thing seemed to be returning back to Konoha and waiting for everyone else to do the same, but I got a bit edgy when no one returned after the first few days."

Kakashi paused momentarily. "We were deposited pretty far off in Earth Country. Kurotaka and I met up fairly quickly and we also know that Gai was in Sand territory for a while, but we got a bit distracted from finding him".

Masurao snickered, "oh and that distraction was just coincidence, eh? Well, I spent most of my time here deciphering my bit of the scroll. I reckon I've cracked the code it uses, so when Akiraka gets back from tracking Gai down we can put all of the scrolls together. That teleporting trick of hers is pretty cool".

"Teleporting trick?" Kurotaka mumbled around her noodles, curious. Masurao nodded. "Yeah. Akiraka can teleport a couple of hundred metres every time she activates one of her jutsu. Considering she can do this jutsu repeatedly for more than an hour, she's very good at covering great distances". He grinned, "I can still remember complaining on missions with Kakashi that it wasn't fair that we had to walk while Akiraka could teleport to...Hokage-sen...sei..." His voice trailed off. Kakashi looked at him quickly, distressed to see a sudden agony in his friend's eyes.

"Masurao, what's wrong?" he asked sharply, dropping his chopsticks and staring at his friend in distress. Kurotaka put down her bowl, watching him in perplexion.

Masurao's shoulders shook. "Of course. I forgot you didn't know, but I was so glad to see you that I didn't say..." He was looking at the swept floor of the ramen stand, eyes lowered but still full of an unspeakable sorrow. Kakashi leant forward, resting one hand on his friend's shoulder. "Masurao?"

"Sensei's dead, Kakashi". Masurao looked up, eyes watery but defiant. "Remember he left to fight the Kyuubi straight after the debrief?" Kakashi felt his stomach clench, threatening to make him vomit. He tightened his grasp on Masurao's shoulder, eyes wide as they searched his friend's sorrowful face.

"How? Why?" His voice was barely a whisper, strained. How could his sensei, the man he had revered from his earliest years be dead? That childhood idol, snatched from his life?

"The Kyuubi made to attack the village, but sensei found a way to stop it and prevent any more deaths. It cost him his life, but he was willing to make the sacrifice to save us. I arrived home just after the funeral". Masurao drew a haggard breath. "He sealed the spirit into a container; the body of a newborn baby. That baby will keep the Kyuubi trapped inside and unable too harm anyone".

Kakashi rocked back on his stool, slowly releasing his breath, closing his eyes in grief. To die for such a noble cause... it was painful to accept, yet strangely fitting for a man so devoted to Konoha. I will pass this exam. I will do you proud Hokage-sensei, the thoughts rang in Kakashi's mind. Kurotaka shook her head, eyes saddened. "My sympathies to you both. He was not my teacher, but I knew well of his exploits and morals. Konoha has lost a wonderful person".

All three sat in silence, pensive over their ramen bowls. It was amazing how quickly joy could be tainted by learning of something that has been lost.

........

After paying their bills, Masurao took the scrolls from Kakashi and Kurotaka.

"I'll take care of these. The code is a complex one and I'm pretty sure that I won't be able to work on it with anyone making a racket in the background. I'll meet up with you both after they're solved and we can discuss tactics. For now, how about you two go train or something, since you seem to be getting along so well". He smirked wickedly at Kakashi, a trace of his old humour returning. "Do y'know, Kurotaka, that you're the first chick to actually hang around him for his long? Ordinarily most can't stand him but argh-"

"Oh I'm sorry, was that your foot?" inquired Kakashi innocently as Masurao hopped around in a most undignified manner, clasping the suddenly trodden-on appendage, glaring at Kakashi in annoyance.

"Actually, yes, it was. Well, I suppose I deserved that". The chuckling Shinobi turned away and began to walk off down the street, turning to face them as he backed away. "Have fun! Don't make yourselves too exhausted...aiiieeee!!!!"

This time the attack was from Kuro in the form of a well-thrown paper lantern, if indeed such a thing can exist.

..............

wild-filly: I will now offer a warning that my exams are now only a matter of days away... well, technically they've always been a matter of days away, but now they're a more intimidating number away, so if I update later, please forgive me. The exams go for a two week block and then I am free, free at last! So please review and I will hopefully update before they start and I lose all traces of sanity Thankyou!


	13. Chapter 12

Wild-filly: What a life I lead... this chapter has been put together entirely during study breaks, so please take it as a token of my devotion to fanfiction. I'm really trying here! It's so very hard to think at the best of times... nah I'm just being obnoxious, as per usual

Thanks go to the last reviewers; JapanAnimeGirl, princessares, Grummur, Ame Suisei, kimpster, Katzuki, Dracovolan, Aluhamsu, Roxie Zephyr Jocelyn and xl-black-tears-lx; for all their support and encouragement, as well as taking the time to wait for the little review box window thing to load Yet again, I really appreciate it people! Special thanks to Ame Suisei for wishing me luck for my exams – just one week of pure misery left until year 11 week

Disclaimer: Don't own... I'm getting sick of this – why can't someone just donate the rights to Naruto and save me having to write this every time?! (stalks off muttering)

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Okumen Gokurakuchou: Chapter 12

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"Do you call that a bullseye?"

"It's dead-centre on the target, so what do you think it is?!"

"That's never dead centre! It's at least a centimetre off".

"Do you really think that matters? Either way it'd have been a lethal shot".

"With that huge gap? Come on, anyone could have dodged that".

"I think you're forgetting the basic principle here... this is one centimetre we're talking about"

"Well if you can afford to be that sloppy, then you'd better get used to carrying a sack-load of spare shuriken to make up for the ones you lose to bad throws".

"Who asked you anyway?"

Two Shinobi stood before a straw practise doll, staring critically at a neat line of shuriken, embedded with debatable accuracy into the rough, hessian material. One of them was shaking her head irritably, ponytail catching off the shoulder of the man beside her, who was pointedly ignoring this. Kakashi stepped slightly off to one side, one hand stroking his chin appraisingly. "You did ask for some coaching with your volley-throws, in case you've forgotten so easily".

"I said coaching, not pedantic annoyance, understand?!"

"Yes, but they are practically the same thing"

She growled under her breath, threw her hands in the air and stormed off, collapsing under a convenient tree cross-legged, arms tightly folded about her waist. She leant her head back, eyes closed as coarse bark made contact with her skin. "I'm sick of this. We've been throwing shuriken, dodging shuriken, retrieving shuriken and arguing over shuriken for the last three hours. And the two hours before that it was kunai. Can't we think of some more original way to pass the time?"

"At least we can agree on that one thing", replied Kakashi, ambling over to where she was sitting. With a yawn he sank to the ground beside her. "Any bright ideas?"

"We could go help Masurao with the scrolls".

Kakashi snorted. "Have you any idea how annoyed he gets when he's interrupted in the middle of something as tentative as decoding? Trust me, it's not a pretty picture".

"How bad can it be?"

"I'll put it this way... you'll find I was right about the one centimetre being too far off a lethal spot the hard way".

"You mean he's thrown knives at you, aiming for lethal points before?" She stared at him incredulously, one eyebrow arched in scepticism.

"Not quite knives... sticks, rocks, eleven bowls, a cup, a couple of cushions, some shoes, four sets of cutlery, eight packets of rice, three pairs of socks and something else... oh yeah, a scroll of summoning that exploded on contact. He got in a bit of trouble for that one, I can assure you. I daresay there have been several other things he has attempted to murder me with, but those are just the ones that stood out the most". He counted them off his fingers nonchalantly, eyes half-closed as he recalled each scene. "We've been friends since before our academy days, even though he's a couple of years older than me and was in a different Genin team. He's a perfectly nice guy. Just a bit volatile when disturbed". His eyes bent into a smile as he looked down back at her.

"And you don't do anything to help that, I guess", she snickered. Yawning, she unfolded her arms and blew upwards, trying and failing to shift her white-tipped fringe from her eyes. With a sigh of disgust she staggered to her feet, brushing the grass from her short kimono. "Oh yeah..." She turned back towards him. "What was that attack you used?"

"Attack I used?" Kakashi blinked. "You mean the annoyance tactics? They just come naturally".

"Not that, you moron" She rolled her eyes in exasperation. "I meant the Chakra move you used two days ago, the one that shattered the prison. Where did you learn it?"

"I didn't learn it". He rose to his own feet, rubbing at his wrists absent-mindedly. The question had to come up sooner or later. He had a couple of his own questions already in reserve for her. The trick here was not to be the one to start the question-asking, otherwise he would be back at square one as far as her being agreeable towards him went; she had to initiate any move and he would follow it up. Finally... some sort of tactical process was coming to him. It had taken a lot of bruises, but it was coming to him at last. Now all he needed was for her to disprove this theory.

"Then where did you pick it up?" Her eyes were scrutinising his own. "A technique with enough power to render a Chakra prison to pieces is not one I want to be uncertain of. Tell me... where is it from?"

"I invented it when I was thirteen years old".

She stared at him, expression torn between aghast and incredulous. "Thirteen years old, for an attack that powerful?" Her voice was practically a whisper, fists clenched at her sides. "A genius?" The look in her eyes wasn't humorous when she mentioned the latter. There was nothing funny about being born abnormally talented; it was something that you either respected or loathed as far as other students went. Having a genius in your academy class was about as much fun as having an Olympic athlete competing against you in a race for the bus; completely unwanted as it made you look much worse than you were. The smarter students though, were the ones who didn't begrudge a talented student; after all, when they graduated, you wanted to make sure that you would still be able to walk down the street without fear for your life. Kurotaka was different again though, seeming to fall into neither category.

Unabashed, Kakashi continued. "Hai. I became a Chuunin at six, an ANBU at about nine; I can't quite remember". The meeting with the Third Hokage. The interviews with his senseis. The training at all hours of the day and night. The hot surge of pride in succeeding in his probationary period. The savage, shredding, searing of the burning brand thrust deep into his upper arm, scorching the muscle in a black curve. No. He couldn't remember the exact day, only the eternity before it.

She shook her head. "Too young, surely. How talented were you?" Her tone was different yet again, one more pitying than anything else. He had no idea what she was thinking. Apparently neither did she.

"I don't really know". He shrugged his shoulders. "I was only young at the time. My parents sent me to the Academy when I was four and I graduated at five, once the teacher managed to get me to sit in my chair and stop trying to climb out the window during tests. Masurao and Akiraka-chan are a couple of years older than I, but then again, so are most people. Even the members of my Genin team, Obito and Rin are two years older than I am."

"What did your parents think of you graduating so early?" Her eyes were fixed on him intently.

That question. He felt his shoulders sag, then stiffen. He had been expecting it coming, but every time it came he still couldn't quite deal with it in the perfect, planned reaction. She couldn't understand; not when she was filled with such hate towards half of her family. There were few who could understand, fortunately.

"They were killed defending the village". The monotonous reality seethed from his lips, eyes devoid of emotion. "I was not told who or what by, as I was too young to understand, despite being considered old enough to be a Genin. My suspicions lie with the Kyuubi, as they lived outside of Konoha, in a tiny offshoot town that came under the demon's attack. That ancient demon has been wandering these lands for centuries, but only recently has it started moving against Konoha. However border disputes have been known to come as close as this as well, so I really don't know". Bitter memories all the more bitter as they waned, escaping from his mind and into nothingness. People normally didn't ask about his family, so he never offered to tell.

Kurotaka released a withheld breath, air rushing noisily into the bright, quiet clearing. "I'm sorry that I made you say that", she said softly. Her hands wrung themselves together, stepping from one foot to another in uncertainty. He watched her from the sides of his eyes, shaking his head. "Don't be. It was a long time ago. Any problems I have with it have been dealt with" How effectively though, he did not say. He cleared his throat, "you were asking about the technique I used earlier?"

Back on the original train of thought, she nodded, relaxing visibly. "How precisely is it used? I couldn't see you initiate the move, so I'm not sure whether or not it is activated using a seal formation or purely mind-orientated. I'd like to know what I'm up against".

"Up against?" His voice was amused. "Do you intend to fight me?"

"That depends", she replied swiftly, "Do you intend to crash through another ceiling onto me?"

"Good point" He winced. That detour was still aching. "For your information, it has to be summoned by use of a seal formation, but the amount of Chakra and its positioning is reliant on the person's mind. If you haven't sufficient control and motivation, you can't get it onto your hand but if you have too much control, you won't be able to actually attack anyone with it".

"I see", she nodded appraisingly. "So if you're distracted, you can't charge it properly?"

"True, however..." He waved a finger at her in his most irritating fashion, eyes arched into a grin. "...Distracting me from charging it would take a very unusual attack; one that I doubt you would be willing to resort to". He let the suggestiveness of that statement hang in the air like a neon, flashing target. He wasn't disappointed. The fist sailed downwards in an unthwartable arc to his skull, making the world give a nasty shudder even as his ears reported that Kurotaka was speaking, as though she had ignored his last statement.

"Oh yeah, what do you call it?"

Massaging the top of his head mournfully, Kakashi responded. "I'm sorry, what was that? I seem to be hearing voices, but that could just be the concussion talking". He looked at her reproachfully and she sighed, "don't worry, you don't have brain damage. Had I aimed a bit lower then you might have been in trouble..." He winced, "that was harsh".

"Point taken, now back to the topic please; what's the name of your technique?"

"Well... I usually call it the Raikiri, but I'm not really so keen on the name".

"Thunder break? Odd... where did that come from?"

"I was having an argument with Gai actually when it was named. Something about my being an insult to him in every way possible. I think we may have been engaged in a death match... I can't quite remember. You know how it is..." The blunt stare she was giving him convinced him otherwise. "No? Oh... well I guess I HAD been a little annoying that day, but he completely overreacted. No sense of humour, or sense for that matter. Where was I? Oh yeah; well he was trying to kill me and I was trying not to kill myself laughing out on one of the main training fields, but neither of us noticed that the weather was getting worse and worse as our little brawl continued. In fact, we only noticed it was getting so bad when I charged up the Raikiri, sprinting towards Gai in order to scare him off and I ran into the path of an oncoming lightning bolt". He scratched the back of his neck in slight embarrassment. "Didn't half give me a turn. It's not every day you have this huge electrical surge breathing down your neck, but for some reason I decided to knock it out of the way rather than halt my charge. Much to my surprise, the Chakra sliced right through it". He grinned at her. "That certainly spooked Gai. Gave my hand a bit of a burn as well".

"You've got to be kidding".

"Ne?" He blinked in confusion. "No, that's the truth. Gai dubbed it Raikiri straight afterwards and from then on we only fight with rock-paper-scissors".

Now it was her turn to look confused. "Rock-paper-scissors?" She didn't even give him time to explain, collapsing to her knees in peals of laughter. Kakashi glared down at her. Annoyance flitted through his mind, but a bit of reality joined it. The whole situation was pretty weird to be honest. He politely waited for her to stop laughing at his expense. And waited. And waited some more. Finally he cleared his throat loudly and nudged at her back with his dark leather boot. She opened her eyes, blue meeting black before she snorted and subsided back into a useless, snickering pile on the grass. Fuming, Kakashi stalked off, over to the shade of a different tree to await her regaining of her senses. About five minutes later she staggered over to him, covered in grass and looking somewhat dazed.

"Kakashi-kun? I'm sorry I laughed at you".

He grunted at her, not even bothering to look around. Who the hell did she think she was fooling? And since when did she call him "-kun"?

"Ok, I'm not sorry I laughed at you. There wasn't much else I could do, but I do feel vaguely guilty about hurting your pride. Is that more accurate?" She planted her hands on her hips, "that's the closest thing you'll get to an apology".

He glanced around at her. "Do you want to see the Raikiri or not?"

She nodded, eyes shining in anticipation. "You'd do it right here?"

"Why not? Do you promise not to laugh this time?"

"I solemnly promise not to behave in any such manner that might unwittingly or intentionally cause direct or indirect damage to your over-inflated ego". She smiled sweetly at him. "Happy?"

"No, but I doubt I'll get any response better than that one". He shuffled out into the middle of the clearing, steadying his breathing and clasping his hands into the first seal, eyes closed in concentration. As the Chakra surged and swirled inside his core, a vague thought strolled into his mind. Why on earth was he charging up his best attack, one that used outrageous amounts of Chakra, just to appease this lunatic of an Uchiha reject? The logic behind his actions escaped him... All he knew was that he wanted to impress her. This conclusion disturbed him somewhat.

Kurotaka's eyes were narrowed as she observed the fluid hand seals, critically observing every stage of the sequence. Powerful seals – used only in the most lethal of combinations. The notion of a thirteen year-old boy playing with seals of this strength was unnerving to her, but all the same, it wasn't really that unusual in the world of Shinobi. Her own "ultimate" jutsu had been created just two years ago, on her fifteenth birthday, but her selection of forbidden jutsu had been schooled into her during the academy; there was nothing like a bit of paranoia to keep assassination attempts at bay.

Blue sparks licked upwards, twisting and flickering in Kakashi's clenched hands. Slowly he pushed more of his Chakra down into the hand, a bead of sweat glistening on his forehead. The heat of the pale sapphire flames wavered around his face, illuminated in a strange, ghostly light even in the height of the afternoon. He needn't put all of his strength into this one; it was only a demonstration after all. The blue, surging mass of fire in his hand writhed, spitting its shrieking flames into the air. It was ready. Weak, but ready.

Turning to face the practise dummy that they had been turning into a shuriken pincushion, he broke into a dead run, arms stiff at his sides as he loped easily over across distance. The wind rushed, ears overflowing with the sound of its passage and the high, chirping of the Raikiri in his right hand. The straw target filled his vision and he thrust his hand forward, momentum and Chakra meeting the doll with a great crash. His hand thrust all the through the straw, Chakra melting the iron framework concealed within and shearing the doll in half, landing in a sorry, melted and charred pile on the ground. Blue flames still licked his hand with earnest, hardly affected by the first charge, however there wasn't anything else to dispatch of. He always felt bad about spearing trees; they had, after all, been part of the environment longer than he had. He let the blue fire evaporate into the atmosphere, sauntering back over to where Kurotaka was standing, watching in a stony silence.

"Well, that was a pretty calm version", he rubbed at his wrist appraisingly, "if it's really essential, it can cut through just about anything. Not a nice attack to get in the way of, I'd imagine".

Kurotaka just stood there, head cocked to one side and eyes glazed. He released his wrist and stared at her. As the seconds trailed past, he slowly raised one hand in front of her face and waved it in front of her line of sight. "Anyone in there?"

No response. He was just debating whether to rap her over the head with the sheath of his katana when she suddenly screeched, "I've got it!"

"You've got what? A mental problem?" muttered Kakashi from where he was sprawled on the ground, having been knocked over by the force of the exclamation. She looked down at him in confusion. "Why are you sitting on the ground?"

"My question exactly", he responded irritably, rising to his feet and dusting himself off in a highly indignant fashion. "What, precisely, did you have to shriek about?"

"I finally remembered what the sound of your attack reminds me of". Her eyes were bent into a chirpy smile, giving her an expression of happiness that just didn't seem to fit her character. Kakashi growled under his breath, "that was the source of your "deep concentration"?"

"Hai", she cheerfully responded, eyes still closed in a grin. "It reminds me of the time I was in this huge aviary at my mother's village. There were a thousand birds in that enclosure". Her eyes were open now, replaced with a watery look of recalled adoration.

"I though you said you'd never been outside of Konoha", pointed out Kakashi suspiciously.

She glanced at him, "I never said that".

"I'm pretty sure you did".

"Oh. Well in that case I was lying. I don't think my mother used legal means to get into of Konoha and out of her old home. I can't quite remember, since I was about four at the time. Either way, that's just what your attack reminds me of; the thousand bird paradise aviary".

"Thousand birds..." Kakashi trailed off pensively. "Chidori? It still sounds weird, but at least Gai didn't pick the name". He slid one eye to her teasingly, "mind you, I'm not sure if I prefer Gai's name over yours". Quite an insult as far as Kakashi was concerned, but Kurotaka remained nonchalant. "Use the name if you want. I was only trying to help after all".

"Shall I make a note of this on my calendar as a historic moment?'

"Just shut up, Kakashi, ok?"

"Fine. But out of curiosity, what village was your mother from?"

Kurotaka shook her head, ponytail flicking out behind her. "I'm not sure what the name of it is. My mother tries to keep it quiet that she even exists, let alone where she lives".

Kakashi stared at her. "You truly live in such fear?"

Her eyes flashed. "The Uchiha clan doesn't take any kind of bad publicity, Kakashi. Such a well-respected, law-abiding clan can't afford to have its flawless reputation marred by the existence of the result of an Uchiha indiscretion with a confused, foreign woman".

She gave a shuddering sigh, sinking to her feet to pick at the grass beneath her hands. Kakashi slowly sank down to sit beside her. He could sense her internal conflict, debating whether or not she should tell him what she so greatly wanted to get out of her mind. Perhaps he would get some answers now, or perhaps he would simply be thrown further into the dark.

........

wild-filly: Will update as soon as I can, once again. I'm trying to keep this fanfic as accurate with the manga as possible, so we will be meeting several other characters soon as well Please review!


	14. Chapter 13

Wild-filly: Thanks for the response for the last chapter…This time my appreciation goes to Katzuki, kimpster, "take a random stab in the dark", JapanAnimeGirl, Tora Macaw, xl-black-tears-lx and Anime Lance!!! Much thanks for all your encouragement during this obnoxious time for me, but exams are now over!! On with the chapter!

Disclaimer: don't own don't sue

……….

Okumen Gokurakuchou: Chapter 13

……….

She clasped and unclasped her hands, fretfully rubbing them, shooting him an apologetic glance at the same time. "I'm sure you don't want to hear this… it is fairly uninteresting".

"Don't be stupid". He shook his head. "If it's giving you this much grief, then there's no way it's insignificant. Tell me. I want to know". Again with that strange feeling inside himself…This was getting most disconcerting.

Chewing on her lip, she neatened her position, tucking her short kimono between the fold her knee and calf muscle made, curled underneath her weight. Kakashi sat silent and motionless. The tension in the air from her was incredible. He didn't dare move lest he ruin her focus. This was something he understood all to well; the stress when one is teetering on the edge of a great secret, essential to be held, yet excruciating to bear. His own experiences of this had largely been in spying missions with the ANBU, but he was well aware of its relevance to everyday life… everyday life that wasn't his, that is.

"My mother came to Konoha eighteen years ago, from a village on the very outskirts of Fire Country. She wasn't exactly a native of this land, as her ancestors came from other towns around the borders, from different backgrounds, different countries all. However, the borders are always unstable these days, so she and the rest of our family lived in constant fear of invasion during one of these disputes. However, since they weren't full-blood citizens of Fire Country, any of them, they hadn't any right to come further into the heart of the country. Knowing this, our family split up, intending to meet up again in the very heart of Fire Country with different identities, so as to avoid being detected and deported back to the country border. One large family travelling together would be far too easy for patrols to spot. They could be arrested, even killed if an invasion had started after they left".

She paused, face sombre. Kakashi nodded gravely. It was a standard procedure for Fire Country to protect all of its citizens, but people who didn't fall into this category so easily were frequently treated as though they were invaders themselves. The Third Hokage had been voicing his disapproval of this treatment, but it still happened, thanks to police forces in more obscure towns dotted around the country. Refugees were viewed as costly drains on a village and therefore, tended to fall into the category of public nuisance more often than not.

"The trip was a dangerous one. My family lost several of its members in the process, but my mother managed to make it right into the nerve-centre of Fire Country; the one place where she could be protected from racist groups, or where she could be arrested on the spot for her heritage. She was anxious to make a good impression, willing to go to great lengths in order to ensure that she, and any family members who made their way here would be guaranteed their freedom and safety". Kurotaka's voice gave a shudder, teeth clenched in anger, her words filled with an unspeakable anguish yet laced with a powerful hate.

"And who better to appeal to for safety, than to the policing force of Konoha. How was she to know it was the last place she should have looked for aid?"

Surprise was dominating Kakashi's emotions, yet tendrils of ire wove their way through his conscious as well. The Uchiha; the elitists of Konoha. It was true when she said earlier that they were the most upstanding, respectable of clans. This move that Kurotaka was suggesting seemed incredibly uncharacteristic for such a noble family.

He gently cleared his throat, catching her attention from where it was determinedly fixed on a non-existent spot in the distance. "I find it most disturbing to believe, Kurotaka, that the Uchiha would have taken advantage of anyone, let alone a refugee".

"You find it disturbing?!" She snorted in disbelief. "Not I. All it has proven is that no family is without its little mistakes. When my mother came into the home grounds of the Uchiha, she was greeted by a striking young man, with the standard Uchiha dark hair and eyes and incredible fighting abilities. She introduced herself to him as one from the border seeking aid, at which point he took her aside and promised to ensure her safety. And it's true. He did that. He found a village far from Konoha that would be willing to take her in, but not only take her in; that would be willing to prevent her from ever needing to leave it again. He convinced her that he was doing her a great favour, making her a place in this haven, for both her and her family". She stopped and slid one eye onto Kakashi's, slightly embarrassed. "I daresay you can imagine what came about next".

"Ah…hai. But I'm trying not to".

"So my mother left Konoha, only to return from the village several months later to try to find that gallant young man who had so kindly secured her a home and also my being. Unfortunately, when she came to the home grounds of the Uchiha clan this time, asking to see him, he did not seem very happy to meet her again. She insisted on being able to speak to him, but he refused to meet her every time she came by. So, she went to see the woman who would be my grandmother and was met with a most disturbing revelation. A revelation, that he who had sired me was not only the youngest son of the head of the family, but in fact married, so a bastard Uchiha could not exist. She suggested that for my mother's own safety, she abort the pregnancy and leave Konoha before sunset".

"My mother refused and fled, unable to believe that the person who had sworn to protect her to the death would have simply used her and then thrown her aside. She was forced to believe my "father's" rejection though, after a group of Uchiha men came to meet her in her new village, requesting her attendance at a family meeting". She rolled one eye towards Kakashi. "As you can imagine, it wasn't exactly a request". Kakashi nodded, not trusting himself to speak.

"So she accompanied them back to the Uchiha household, entering a room that contained a handful of the Uchiha's most influential members, including the head of the family and her lover. As soon as she arrived, my father denied all relationship to me, but was disproved by his own clan thanks to a Chakra test performed by his mother. She confirmed that I had Uchiha blood; Uchiha Chakra and stood every chance of inheriting the clan's secrets. Unwilling to vouch for my mother still, it was decided that my mother should be forced to abort. Since she wasn't a ninja, nor was she a true citizen of Fire Country, the policing force of Konoha could do exactly what they wanted. It's wartime – no one will notice the sufferings that one woman wronged will go through and besides… who can arrest the police? Who can spy on an ANBU?". Her voice was shaking now, kimono clenched tightly in her fists, grinding the fabric into her thighs in anger. A vague thought of putting his arm around her shoulders crossed Kakashi's mind, but before he could exercise it, she regained enough composure to continue.

"She bolted, tearing right through one of the rice screens in her haste to escape. She still believed, even then, that my father would come to his senses". She shook her head. "My mother still refuses to see ill in him. She's too optimistic. I've learned otherwise". With a soft sigh she continued. "She managed to escape. The Uchiha hadn't really wanted to force her, it would seem, but they were convinced that she would take me far away to avoid their attentions. At least then they could pin the blame on some other clan, or a distant relative for my less-than-flattering coming to existence".

"Unfortunately, my abilities as a child… were exceptional. Mother had to leave the village where the rest of our family still lives, since I attracted too much attention and none of the neighbours viewed me with delight. A three year-old who punches through fences when in throwing a tantrum is seldom treasured, let alone a three year-old who can walk on water when she doesn't want to take a bath. She wanted to send me to the ninja academy in Konoha, since she recognised the skills I had inherited and wanted to hone them, since she couldn't suppress them. However she was nervous about entering Konoha again, despite her optimism that my father would accept me. She snuck into the village and sought out the Third Hokage, claiming that her child was "gifted", so could she please enrol me in the Academy?"

Kakashi grimaced. "He found out about you having Uchiha blood?"

She tilted her head to one side. "To this day I don't know. He tested my abilities, but didn't remark on them other than to say that I had his approval to learn the many Shinobi crafts. Possibly".

"Either way, the Uchiha were furious, about the fact that my mother had not only returned, but announced her presence to the Hokage; resulting in her being made an honorary citizen. They were reluctant to try harming a child, but now they felt that their nasty little secret was on the verge of being revealed. The assassination attempts started about a week after I started at the Academy. The drowning attempt, people coming around the house at night… of course the Uchiha themselves never did any of the deeds themselves. No, they let others dirty their hands for them".

"Eventually, my mother couldn't take any more. She went up to the Uchiha household and begged them to stop, or to at least bargain for my life". Kurotaka drew her knees up tight, hugging them to her chest as she stared blankly ahead of herself. "At last they agreed to stop trying to kill me, as long as I would never draw attention to myself. If I were to use any ability akin to the Sharingan or ever associate myself with or near the Uchiha, they would kill me. If I lived my life quietly, avoiding all glories and abilities, then they would permit my existence. Naturally, joining the ANBU would be out of the question. Running for Hokage or a position of power? The Jounin exam has proved too bold for them, as you've now seen".

She turned to face him, eyes half-closed, expression unreadable. "That little fight on the way home… that was the warning. Next time they'll mean business. I've reared my undesirable head too high for their likings, so a convenient "accident" will soon be arranged. All my life, I've been responsible for my mother's fear; fear for my life, fear for hers. Now she's in more danger than ever". The closed expression was fragmenting, coming under assault from the emotions forcefully withheld. Her eyes were becoming glassier, overbright with tears.

The uncertainty left him. Kakashi leant towards her and clasped his arms around her shoulders, drawing her shaking frame to him. She didn't even stiffen against his movement, relaxing and clutching him around the chest. As her shoulders shook in her effort to regain control, Kakashi let his arms drift around her, surrounding her even more with his warm weight; offering what comfort he could. Her dark locks tickled his arms, silky after having the shrubbery removed from them. Gently he moved one arm up to cradle the back of her head, smoothing her ruffled hair and steadying her miserable convulsions. The muffled sobs dissolved, but she didn't pull away, instead nestling deeper into the warmth of his hold. Her head shifted, moving to rest her temple on his collarbone and own arms tightening their hold on him. This time he was the one to stiffen, not so sure of what to do. She didn't say a word though, so he gradually relaxed, enjoying the sensation of closeness. This truly was a remarkable new feeling. The solid weight of her, the reality of her form in his arms brought him the most unusual feelings of peace and protectiveness.

How long they sat there like that, Kakashi didn't know, but finally she pulled away, eyes still overbright, but not with sorrow. She smiled almost nervously at him and stood up, watching him shyly. Then she was gone, leaving the clearing without a word. He sat there numbly, watching her walk away, stride proud, unhindered by her loose blue and white kimono. For ten minutes he remained in exactly that position after she left, looking for all the world like a drunk trying to remember which way up was again.

At last he regained enough of his senses to stand up and wander away to get some dinner. As he hunched over his second, deep bowl of miso ramen, it suddenly occurred to him how very stupid he must have looked staring after the path of a girl who only a couple of weeks ago would have willingly given him away for medical experiments. Well… maybe not given away. Sold at least.

………

The battering started at some unholy hour before the waking of the sparrows.

"GET UP!!"

Grumbling, moaning and arising from the depth of his shuriken bedspread like a dinosaur from a tar-pit, Kakashi muzzily turned his head towards the source of the obnoxious noise. His brain vaguely reminded him that this was Masurao's voice just before Kakashi leant to grab the katana sprawled on the floor. Having come to this conclusion, he picked up the katana anyway and staggered over to the door, tripping over a selection of unidentifiable objects as he sought the normally prominent feature of his room in pitch darkness.

"I'm coming… I'm coming", he mumbled ineffectively as one hand fumbled across the wall for the illusive door handle; the battering, hammering on the door still persisting. He gripped the katana even tighter in his right hand. Each thud on the wretched door was like a nail in his skull. At last the cool metal handle bent under his hand and he swung the door open, glaring back at the chirpy ninja eye-smiling back at him.

"What's with the ungodly hour?" he growled, brandishing the sheathed katana threateningly.

Masurao grinned at him. "Oh my…it's only three am? I'm SO sorry to disturb you from your snoring and drooling, but we have a breakthrough".

Kakashi stared blankly back at him. "Breakthrough?"

Masurao nodded cheerfully, eyes still creased in a smile. "With the scrolls. I've been working all night on them".

Kakashi considered this. "If you've been working all night, then why did you decide to tell me this now, when it could easily have waited another few hours until at least the sun was up?"

"Aww… but where's the fun in that? I didn't disturb you from anything important did I? You haven't got someone in there with you, have you?" The grin took on a much eviller edge as Masurao craned his head to see over Kakashi's shoulder, into the gloom that was his friend's apartment. Kakashi glared at him irritably. "For your information, no. Now what the hell did you wake me up for?"

"Temper, temper", tutted Masurao. He would have tormented his friend a little longer, but the look on Kakashi's face reminded him that his ANBU acquaintance was not a morning person. "Right… I have discovered that the scrolls are in fact translatable only as handseals".

Kakashi blinked. "Meaning what?"

"Meaning they aren't actually a coded message; they're a coded scroll. A scroll of summoning, I might add".

"What can we do with them then?"

"We need Gai and Akirakas' pieces of the scrolls. Then we need to find out what triggers the summon".

"How long is that going to take?" He asked the dreaded question, even though he knew the answer already.

"A month, I'd reckon". The cheeriness didn't fade. "We're screwed, aren't we?"

"Quite. Couldn't you just have left me sleeping in blissful ignorance?"

"And begrudge you the privilege of sharing the feeling of complete uselessness as I am? You must be joking".

Gently, Kakashi leant his forehead against the wooden doorframe, proceeding to bash his head off the polished surface. He persisted in this for a minute or so until Masurao shoved his forehead away from the door.

"Cut that out. You're giving me a headache. Look, we can still do this. We just need to work quickly. The seal trigger is likely to be a combination of blood or Chakra. We can also make an entirely new version of the scrolls; fully translated. If this doesn't reveal whatever it is we're supposed to be doing, then I don't know what we can do".

"Fine". Kakashi turned two slightly unfocussed eyes to his pensive visitor. Perhaps bashing his head off the doorframe hadn't been that great an idea after all. "One more question".

"What?"

"Would you kindly get lost and let me go back to sleep?"

……..

It was now a more civilised hour. After managing to sleep in until the formidable hour of six am, Kakashi was making his sleep-deprived way towards another low block of apartments where most of the single Kunoichi of Konoha inhabited. He staggered through the main door into a considerably cleaner foyer than that of his own apartment block, only to be halted by an older woman who had the air of a door guard about her.

"And just what do you think you're doing here?" The arrogance in that voice was incredible. Kakashi was quite impressed.

"I'm here to see a team-mate of mine. Kurotaka?" Damn… what was her surname again? He knew he'd heard it once before, but had he been paying attention? Well yes, but only to how miserable his life was then.

"…Kurotaka?" She sneered at him, face bunching up like an old dishrag and leering at him in a most unpleasant fashion. He took one step backwards in order to get out of prime glaring position and to re-establish his confidence as a future Jounin and current ANBU member. The old bat simply followed him, sneering in triumph.

"No surname, eh? No matter; I know the girl you're talking about. Nice try at gaining entry I'll admit, but everyone knows that she doesn't speak to anyone, let alone her team-mates. I suggest you crawl back off under the bridge you were living under, if you want to maintain your health".

"I'm serious!" Kakashi froze, returning the glare with one of his own. "You can ask her, she knows who I am".

"Oh no you don't; there's no way you're getting in here. Now back off". She brandished a broomstick threateningly at him. Kakashi stared in disbelief at the woman's choice of apparently ineffective weapon.

"What're you going to do; fly off on that, you old witch?"

From then on, things didn't go so well.

Kurotaka came walking down the street, ambling over to the side restaurant where Kakashi was perched, mutinously sipping at a green tea and nursing a considerable bruise on his forehead. She moved to stand in front of him, having failed to catch his attention by waving and stared at him, perplexed.

"What happened to you?"

He rolled one painful eye at up her. "I'd rather not talk about it".

"You didn't insult miss Shiro, did you?"

"Not that I know of. Why ever do you think that I offended her?"

"Well for one thing, that's a broom twig caught in your hair".

Kakashi grimaced and gingerly probed his skull, which he was completely certain was now sporting a compound fracture at least, searching for that dratted twig. Curse the accuracy of the deranged old bat. He made a mental note; never underestimate underpaid, floor-sweeping old hags. He cursed as the wretched bit of dead tree eluded his bruised fingers, stopping only when Kurotaka sighed impatiently. "Hold still".

Obediently he froze as she leant over him, freed the snagged twig and handed it to him. He didn't even look at the twig, staring instead up at her in a kind of embarrassed amazement. One eye twitched. She glared at him. "What?"

He let his eyes trail down and then freeze at her kimono. The somewhat loosened wrapping of the modified kimono's lower neckline, to be specific. While the view he had just received wasn't at all disagreeable, he wasn't entirely certain that she had intended to give him said view at all. Kuro's eyes followed the path of his own, freezing as she realised the focus of his attention and the folly of her last action.

SMACK.

As if he hadn't suffered enough brain damage today.

"Now…" She smiled sweetly at him, daintily sipping from her deep mug of green tea. "What was it you left a message for me to meet up with you for?"

Slightly concussed and questioning his limited sanity and the strange feelings he persisted in having for this obnoxious life-form before him, Kakashi cleared his throat and replied, "Masurao has finished with the scrolls for now". Kurotaka nodded, "that's all?"

"I'm afraid there's a slight problem".

"And by slight you mean huge".

"Naturally".

She sighed and muttered under her breath, setting down her mug and affixing him with an accusing stare. "What does it involve?"

"We need to find Akiraka and Gai as quickly as possible and get their pieces of the scrolls to Masurao so he can translate them. They aren't actually coded instructions; they're a scroll of summoning, but we don't know how to activate the summon".

She expelled her breath in a low hiss. "Do we know anyone who's an expert about summoning scrolls?"

"Not as such. I'm afraid we wouldn't be allowed to ask them anyway. Either way, Masurao and I are pretty sure that a combination of blood and Chakra will work".

"Yes", she picked up her cup and took a long draught, "the only problem…" She replaced the mug. "…Is precisely how much, by whom and with what additional handseals?"

"Precisely".

"Well I don't know about you, but I'm not incredibly keen on losing a litre of blood to practise. Have Masurao decode the scrolls, set them together and I'll take a look at them". She grinned at Kakashi, "scrolls were one of my favourite sections at the academy". She raised her hands, "now, I'm not promising anything; in fact, now that I've admitted that I may be able to help has probably just sealed fate that I'll be nothing more than a hindrance, but what more can I do…"

"Trust me, I think you'll stand the best chance of any of us".

"What about you? You still have your dog-summoning scroll, haven't you?"

"It's a little damp from its swim at the hidden waterfall, but yes. However just because I use the scroll doesn't mean I understand how the hell it works".

"Point taken. Now where did Masurao say Akiraka had gone?"

"She was heading for Sand Country I believe, so it's not antisocially far from here, but we will have to make exceptionally good speed in order to fulfil our task".

Kurotaka yawned, staring at Kakashi with a miserable eye. "We have to leave now? After such a limited time enjoying civilisation…" She trailed off and poked at her tea mug with a lone chopstick that was stationed next to Kakashi's breakfast. He nodded, "and it looks like we'll be accompanied by Masurao this time as well. When we meet up, we have to get the scrolls done as soon as possible".

She raised one eyebrow. "You mean I'm going to be stuck with both of you?"

He eye-smiled at her, "how fortunate can one person be?"

"Not much less, I'd reckon".

………

wild-filly: Holidays coming so very soon – will update when I can! Have been in a strong writing mood recently… Please review!


	15. Chapter 14

Wild-filly: Thanks go to Tora Macaw (great to see you at Wai-Con!), Katzuki, Anime Lance, Grummur. princessares and noneyabusiness – you people rock, I can't thank you enough for your support

Disclaimer: Don't own don't sue

………….

Okumen Gokurakuchou: Chapter 14

………….

"I think we're lost".

"Who the hell put you in charge of directions?"

"Hey, no one else was steering, so I took over".

"We'd have been better off walking round in circles! I haven't a clue where we are now…"

"Would you quit glaring at me already?! It's creeping me out… Kakashi! A little help please?"

"Ne? There's no way you're dragging me down as well".

"Oh thank you very much. Some friend you are".

"Quite".

Masurao glanced up from the map scroll, which as now revealed to have been upside down and possibly inside out throughout the entire period of its usage. Kurotaka was toying with a stray kunai, cleaning under her fingernails with the razor-sharp blade and staring pointedly at the nervous Chuunin, leaving no doubt as to her underlying suggestion. Kakashi was ambling at the back of the little group, looking exceptionally bored and embarrassed to be included in their company. He rolled his eyes with the skill of one who generally lives by the saying "if you want something done right, do it yourself or don't ask your geography-illiterate acquaintances".

He sighed, "we are approximately 15 kilometres east of Wind country, bordering on Earth country. We haven't been going in circles, but actually a straight line following a trader's road which passes through all of outer villages of both Earth and Wind, which coincidently takes longer". Instantly he regretted his choice of words, as both Kurotaka and Masurao rounded on him.

"You've been letting us wander around lost this whole time?"

"Uh… hai?"

This didn't seem to be the right answer.

"WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR PROBLEM?"

He backed away from the onslaught of Kurotaka's screech, eyes boring murderously through his own, pure rage radiating from every pore yet again. Waves of Chakra washed over him, even as scarlet flickered into her pupil; almost losing control of her Uchiha blood in her fury. As he calmly met the ire of her stare, the only thing running through his mind had the misfortune to also escape his mouth.

"Are you aware that a vein twitches on your forehead when you're angry?"

He was finally awakened by the strange sensation of bracken around the upper area of his ankles and a continued pulling motion on each of his shoulders. As he muzzily opened his eyes, Kakashi was met with the discovery the he was in fact being dragged by his arms, feet trailing the increasingly-sandy ground and successfully filling his shoes with a collection of spiky plant and dirt life. He wearily turned his head over one shoulder, catching sight of Masurao hanging onto his left arm. His "friend" grinned cheerfully at him.

"Awake again are we? You aren't exactly light, you know. But that was a perfect attack by Kuro, if I may say so". Kakashi noticed Masurao's eyes slide nervously to the right, as though anxious to either win favour or at least stay on the correct side of it. Groaning slightly, he turned to affix a pathetic stare in Kurotaka's general direction. "Was that entirely necessary?"

She grinned innocently at him. "Come now… surely there wasn't any lasting damage".

"You assume too much".

He roughly shook himself free from their grasp and proceeded to shuffle at the back of the group again, distinctively pouting despite the presence of his mask, which even now had contrived to stay perfectly positioned. Masurao sighed and shrugged his shoulders dramatically, stalking on ahead with the map brandished in front of him. "Quit sulking already, Kakashi. We've finally found the right trail, no thanks to you. If we pick up the pace we should get back on track in no time". He shot a scathing glare his companion's way, making a spirited attempt to pin the blame for their directional difficulties on someone other than him.

Kakashi glared back mulishly, declining to answer this annoyance of an acquaintance. Everything seemed to be annoying him now; life itself had become too troublesome to even contemplate. Had he not an exceptional level of self-control, he would have stormed off through the scrubby trees in order to find a nice convenient spot to throw a tantrum. Maybe the brain damage was finally catching up.

Kurotaka slacked off the pace, dropping to fall in pace with Kakashi, her face writ with a vague concern. "I didn't really hurt you there, did I?"

"You knocked me unconscious for no good reason… what the hell do you think?!"

"I'm sorry about that, no don't snort at me, it's true. My nerves are just a little strained, that's all". She sought to catch his eye, which he kept pinned steadfastly on the ground, burning a laser-trail in Masurao's sandy footprints. At least they were heading for the Wind Country border alright. She sighed and let her own gaze follow the ground. "I'm sorry I've been so violent during this exam towards you… what can I do to apologise?"

Damn that mind of his. He hastily coughed and replied, "nothing really I suppose. Just try not to knock me out in future, ok?" He presented an expression of noble indigence, as far as one could with half of their face covered with mask and an additional third sporting an assortment of war-wounds, including bruises and twig gouges. This time she was successful in seizing his eye contact, purposefully pinning his gaze onto her own. Navy blue pupils; he recognised the Uchiha darkness attacking what must have been a pale blue from her mother's side. She smiled shyly, sliding one eye back to where Masurao was striding clumsily down the boggy sand trail, tripping and stumbling as he came across uneven patches, which appeared with embarrassing frequency.

Looking up to see where Masurao had stumbled over yet another hole, this time to fall, cursing, into a perfectly placed ditch for nonexistent drainage facilities, Kakashi shifted his gaze from her. As he turned, he felt something warm and soft brush against his cheek, just above the breathable fabric of his mask. A couple of seconds passed without comprehension; then his senses finally spelt out what had happened in big simple letters for the benefit of his brain. He turned back to Kurotaka in shock, a vibrant blush rising to his cheeks as he realised what she had just done while he was distracted. She grinned back at him and jogged on ahead, hauling Masurao out of his ditch by one arm, snickering appreciatively the whole time.

"It's not funny, Kurotaka". Masurao gingerly massaged his side, flapping the folds of his grey long-sleeved shirt in order to empty them of sand.

"Really? How else could one describe the sight of you flailing in a hole, flat on your back, arms and legs waving in a most amusing manner?"

"Has anyone ever told you that you're a sadist?" He avoided the question.

"Kakashi has, I believe. I daresay other people have, but not to my face, or possibly to my face in the form of incomprehensible ranting at obnoxiously high pitches, so I couldn't tell".

"Just thought I'd ask". Grumbling under his breath, Masurao adjusted the pack on his shoulders and glanced back at where Kakashi was still standing, completely stunned and pink-tinged around the face in the middle of the narrow sand track. "What the hell's wrong with you?"

"Nothing at all", he murmured. "Nothing wrong at all".

………

The miserable little sand track flanked with miserable, scrubby little trees in miserable, scrubby bushland mutated into a considerably less miserable golden desert, rolling unchecked for miles, blotted only by the occasional VERY miserable scrubby tree. The trio trudged through deep sand, sinking past their knees whenever they released their Chakra support just for a moment. Kakashi was now striding in the lead, finding the going much easier than either Kuro or Masurao. Maps weren't necessary; he knew this area easily enough after years of spying missions and training in rugged conditions. Besides, if there was anything worth seeing, then it would stand out much more clearly in this landscape of virtually endless nothing.

"Where would Akiraka and Gai be, do you think?" Masurao called from the back of the group to Kakashi, as he bounded nimbly to a higher dune, scrying for a town or settlement somewhere.

"My guess would be one of the larger towns". He jogged back to where the other two had stopped, waiting for him to rejoin. "Even if we don't know exactly where they are, we can still ask around if anyone has seen those two. Akiraka can blend into a crowd pretty well, but Gai's just… kinda lousy".

"I thought he was ok at deception in his classes". Kurotaka raised one eyebrow. "That doesn't seem to make sense".

"Pardon? Oh, I just meant lousy as a person in general".

Masurao chuckled, "what is with the rivalry you two have any way? You're so petty, Kakashi…"

"I'm not petty. I just easily hold grudges and make bad first impressions, that's all".

"Isn't that practically the same thing?" Kurotaka snickered under her breath. Kakashi eye smiled at her. "Not practically the same thing. There are subtle differences".

"Like what?"

"What I said takes longer to say".

The desert was proving to be as bereft of life as it was of anything other than sand and scrub, even as they broke into a more efficient ninja-style run, loping swiftly over the great sprawl of nothingness. This couldn't continue for too long though. The amount of Chakra required to keep the Shinobi from sinking uselessly into the desert's depths wasn't great, but significant when it was expended continuously over the distances. The sooner they could find an inhabited area, the better. As the blazing afternoon sun darkened to harsher red and then waned to darkness, the Chuunin were running in the night, their path lit only by the moon that rode high over the whitened sands.

Kakashi steadied his pace, slowing back to a walk and signalling for the two behind him to do the same. The brightness of the moonlight was extraordinary, allowing them to pick their way across the desert even in the late evening, but they would be better to rest now while they could. Masurao yawned widely, craning one arm back to his pack and rummaging blindly through its depths. "How much longer do you reckon we have to travel until coming across something?" He drew out one of the water canteens and took a long draught, offering the skin to Kuro, which she accepted gratefully, downing some of the lukewarm water before passing it on to Kakashi. He too drank deeply and then handed it back to Masurao.

"Too long for us to make it all the way tonight. At least if Akiraka and Gai start heading back for Konoha, they should be able to spot us, since there isn't any cover here for miles". He stared hopelessly across the desolate sand plains. No cover even for them to rest under.

"We'd better break for the night and start up again in the morning, before it gets too hot to think". Kurotaka strode off their track and stamped around a patch of flatter sand, testing the strength of the ground beneath her. Satisfied, she dumped her own pack on the sand and sprawled herself beside it. Numbly, both men joined her, arranging their own packs and bringing out food and water supplies, unrolling sleeping bags.

"We've enough to last us on the trail for about a week, provided we all want to look like super models at the end of it", commented Masurao. "I don't know about you two, but that prospect doesn't exactly fill me with delight, so I suggest that we move faster tomorrow".

Kurotaka nodded wearily, calling out to the ghostly bird that silently circled over their little encampment. Guntou soared gracefully towards her outstretched arm and perched on her shoulder, with as much dignity as a scavenger seagull with every parasite known to birdlife inhabiting him can. She crooned softly to him as the bird preened a lock of her white-tipped ponytail with his beak. "Guntou will keep a watch for them should they come anywhere within this area tonight".

Kakashi nodded. That would allow all of them to rest without needing to put someone on watch duty. Just as well, since they'd need all the strength they could muster for the endurance run tomorrow with depleted Chakra supplies. Burrowing himself a little cave in the sand dune, he lay flat on his back, watching the stars. Tiny pinpricks of vivid white light, burning into his vision and marring the otherwise flawless eternal blackness above. Amazingly beautiful and clear, especially out in the desert where there was no pollution or cover to hide them from view. As fatigue claimed his mind, dreamy, half-formed thoughts swam around his head. The idea of billions of miles of space between him and the stars. Gravity being the only thing that held him onto this world. The coldness of the desert at night. Warmth from the neighbouring form of Kuro, leaning on him slightly for heat having rolled over in her sleep. Had she even rolled over in her sleep? Was it accidental or intentional?

His eyes eased shut and all thought ceased.

Dawn came early, along with the prematurely extreme heat that was typical with desert regions. The three Shinobi were continuing their uncomfortable pace, sweat dripping from their bodies to stain the golden sand below them, leaving a dark, haphazard trail of droplets with their footprints. How long they had been running since their pathetic excuse for breakfast and refreshment was unknown, but was generally figured to be some antisocial number in relation to the distance they had covered. The barren wasteland seemed to continue forever and Kakashi was already more than a little sick of the scenery. Of course, if you were a naturalist studying the behavioural habits of sand, then you were in paradise. Aside from that, Kakashi was bored out of his brain, sick of the scenery, sick of the pace and sick of the weight of his pack. All in all, this was yet another bad day in a never-ending string of bad days.

"Hey, I think there's a person over there!" Masurao's voice sang out over the monotonous beating of their Chakra-stuck feet on the sand.

"Where?" Kakashi jerked his head back towards where Masurao was jogging, pointing west. Following his friend's weary signal, Kakashi sighted a winding ribbon, made up of some kind of drudge animals. Sure enough, at the end of the trail was a blurred figure inanely waving a stick at his shuffling livestock. Such undignified behaviour could only be undertaken by a human. Kurotaka glanced at Kakashi, uncertain. "Do we confront them?"

Kakashi surveyed the scene. The figure was heading their way, but didn't seem to be doing it intentionally. The gangling animals appeared to be doing most of the steering. The fact that they were in the desert was more likely to have been the animals' decision, rather than that of the driver. He nodded tightly. "They do not appear to be a threat as of the moment, but we should be careful".

Masurao cracked his knuckles. "Do we take the violent approach for information, or play the dumb tourist role?"

"Dumb tourist I'd reckon. Try not to give any more information than is really necessary".

"Point taken. Don't question, don't answer".

"Come now you two, is it really so hard for you to tell the truth?" Kurotaka shook her head and tutted mockingly, starting now the dune towards the herder. "Living such dishonest lives… how can you sleep at night?"

"Usually in a sleeping bag with my eyes closed, although at this precise moment I could settle for any random place in the sand".

"It was a rhetorical question Kakashi".

Upon their approach, the herder gave a shriek and waved his staff threateningly in their direction, white robes flapping dramatically. Masurao stepped into the lead, muttering quietly. "Just let me handle this for now". Kakashi stared straight ahead, affixing the herder with what he hoped was a trustworthy gaze. Judging by the increased flailing, it wasn't working very well. A lean, evil-looking camel cantered past Kakashi, lashing out with one flat, splayed foot and nearly catching the Chuunin in the ribs, had he not hastily stepped aside.

Masurao raised his hands in the universal gesture for "look-I'm-not-carrying-a-weapon-of-mass-or-minor-destruction" and walked carefully towards the enraged man before them. Silently, Kakashi braced himself, readying for a quick catch in the likely event of Masurao getting bludgeoned by the battered staff and thrown backwards into a camel. Clearing his throat loudly, Masurao tried for first communication.

"Hello? Can you understand me?"

Yet more flailing. It seemed angrier and it was heading more distinctly for Masurao. Kakashi visibly braced himself for the catch. Masurao may be an efficient ninja and well set-up to become a Jounin, but he didn't always make brilliant tactical decisions when it concerned his own safety. Keeping his hands raised and eyes lowered, Masurao stood his ground even as the flailing attacker launched himself at him. It was quite interesting to watch. One was performing the natural defensive stance and the other was performing the offensive, and as with all of these things; the one on the offensive had no choice other than to lose.

The staff arched through the air, crashing down towards the black-haired ninja's skull. There was a crack and the staff fell apart in the herder's hands, sheared into quarters by an unseen move. Unseen by the herder at least. Kurotaka shuffled to stand beside Kakashi. "What was that? I felt the Chakra but there wasn't a seal…"

"Masurao can release cutting Chakra without use of a seal". Kakashi smiled behind his mask as the herder skidded to a halt and stammered in shock over the pile of fragmented wood that he had been meaning to turn into a deadly weapon against three mid-level ninja. "He prefers not to carry shuriken and kunai, since they require cleaning and can be heavy. The Chakra throwing-knives are more difficult to learn, but easier to take care of in that respect. Also, after a battle you don't have to hunt through your opponent in order to get your favourite shuriken back".

Kurotaka shuddered. "I usually prefer to let people keep the shuriken I give them. After they've used it, I'm not so keen on having it back".

"It's called recycling, Kuro-chan".

"I think disgusting would be more accurate". She gave him a strange look, but didn't comment on the endearment he had attached to her name. Did she think he was just mocking her? Was he just mocking her?

No. It didn't seem so. His brain was finally rounding to a conclusion and Kakashi wasn't exactly upset with it.

"Do you understand what I'm saying?" Masurao's voice caught their attentions again. The herder was now staring sullenly at the ground, camels ambling around them in search of scrub. Having dispatched of the staff, Masurao had taken the upper hand with minimum effort.

"Hai… but you can't have my stock. I need to sell them in Earth country for my boss; I've been instructed to fight to the death for them against thieves". He glared defiantly at Masurao, shooting Kakashi and Kurotaka a nasty look at the same time. Masurao lowered his hands.

"We didn't come here to give you trouble, sir. Only to ask directions".

The herder stiffened, eyes narrowing suspiciously. "Why are you all the way out here? Travellers don't try to cross this desert on foot; it'd be suicide. Only thieves and fools lurk around the desert like this".

Masurao coughed uncomfortably. "I'm afraid we fall into the "fools" category then. You see, we're trying to track down two of our companions who should be in one of the towns here. The only problem is that we have no idea where we're going".

Kakashi took this opportunity to speak. "Which town area did you come from, how far away was it?"

Frowning, the weather-beaten man pointed behind himself, waving his hand in a vaguely north-westerly direction. "About a five-days' herding time away is a fairly big town. It's not the capital, but I'd reckon your friends would be somewhere in the vicinity. The bigger towns are all relatively close to it as well, since there aren't that many water sources in Wind country". He stared at them shrewdly. "You're not going to make it there alive. I had to take supplies on an extra four camels in order to make it this far. There's no way you have enough to sustain you in your packs alone, but I'm not giving you anything".

Kakashi and Masurao exchanged glances. What now? There was a very obvious answer to the sustenance problem standing right in front of them… Before Masurao could subtly give the man a mild concussion, Kuro stepped forward, hands clasped to her chest in a most uncharacteristically maidenly fashion, eyes welling with tears. The herder stared at her suspiciously, but something was working behind his eyes and the way they kept travelling up and down her form was hard to miss. She didn't say a word, letting tears spill down her cheeks before collapsing onto the sand and burrowing her face in her hands, shoulders shaking and breath heaving with theatrical sobs. It took Kakashi less than a second to figure out what she was doing and he had to bite down hard on the fabric of his mask to stop himself from laughing out loud.

Such an amateurish trick; so simple and unimaginative… she didn't seriously think it would work, did she? The urge to roll on the sand howling with laughter was almost unbearable.

"Lady… get out of my way would you? This isn't my problem…" Just as the herder tried to step around Kurotaka to continue chasing his camels, she launched herself at him, a kunai's handle pinched between each finger. There was a blur of limbs and now it was the herder on the sand, with Kuro seated cross-legged on his chest, his arms pinned by her own and the kunai in a neat little pile before her.

"Come now, good sir… you wouldn't seriously let me and my companions just die out here?" Her voice was sugary, level and eyes friendly. The whole scene didn't fit her voice or manner. She grinned cheerfully at him, "we don't want to have to hurt anyone, really… we just need a bit of help. Could you see fit to give us a hand?"

The herder was white, livid with fury and thrashing under her grasp. He refused even to answer her. With a sigh, she uncrossed one foot and planted it on his throat. Kakashi raised one eyebrow. The view the herder was receiving was more than a little compromising for Kurotaka, but she wasn't the one in danger here. Without any change of outside emotion or expression, she let her foot press against his throat a little harder, just so that his breath rasped.

"We just need a little help. This is for your own good you know. It's not very polite to leave people to die in the desert".

To cut a long story short, the herder agreed.

Mounted on the back of an exceptionally fat camel, Kakashi was experiencing the very disconcerting gait that is a camel's undignified lumber. The exceptionally tall creature seemed to be equal in girth to its height, resulting in the Chuunin's feet jutting out uncomfortably from the sides of his saddle.

"Don't you think you were a little rude back there?"

Kurotaka twisted around from where she was trotting on ahead on the back of her evil-tempered mount, flicking its head angrily and making growling sounds that didn't bode well for the overall contentment of the animal. "What was that?"

Nudging his valiant steed into a grudging canter, he caught up to where she was attempting to install brakes to her own, oh-so-cooperative mount. "Could you not have picked a more pleasant way to win the man's support? After all, he was only doing his job back there".

"Kakashi… a nice man wouldn't have been so willing to let us wander off and die out here. He got what he deserved. Maybe in future he'll be more charitable".

"All the same, there were better ways that could have been done by".

"Fine. In future you can play the maiden-without-a-brain-in-distress role. Unfortunately, such a role doesn't sit well with me and I tend to get bored and add my own spins to it".

"I noticed", commented Kakashi dryly. "To be honest, I didn't think you would be able to go through with such a lame and old trick. I was wondering how long it would take for you to snap and attack somebody, since you promised not to hit me any more".

She widened her eyes at him in mock horror. "How can you say such a thing?"

"Ok you two, I'm getting sick of this". Masurao's flea-bitten camel trotted up level with their own, dust coloured animals. "Either you two change the subject or shut up… coupled with the heat and this wretched creature, your arguments are giving me a headache". With that, he gave his steed a smack on the rump, intending to spur the grouchy camel on.

There was a roar, a massive twisting buck and another yell, followed swiftly by a soft thudding sound as Masurao and the sand reacquainted themselves at high speed, the camel lumbering off at high speed ahead of them. Kurotaka let out a roar of laughter and took off after the other camel, while Kakashi waited for his friend to dig himself out of his Masurao-shaped dent in the sand, shaking his head with mock disdain.

………

wild-filly: Should be able to update this soon… with any luck Please review!


	16. Chapter 15

Wild-filly: This time thanks go to… JapanAnimeGirl, Anime Lance, Tora Macaw, Katzuki, Grummur and shadowkazul It's great to receive your feedback.

Minor comment – this fanfic will become a lot more serious as chapters go on; I've been building up to assorted ideas (gotta love character development, ne?), but themes will be stronger in later chapters. Still intend to keep the characters acting as they are, but I may or may not have to raise the rating… won't give any spoilers for now, but will keep you posted concerning this And on with the chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, as much as I wouldn't mind investing in a share of the characters… however since this is unlikely to happen, I'll stick with asking people not to sue. It's so unpleasant and I don't even have any money… although I suppose I could be sued for my Kakashi keyrings and figurines, of which I own quite a few.

……..

Okumen Gokurakuchou: Chapter 15

………

The desert continued to roll out before the three Chuunin and their camels, trudging along under the stars. Although they were unaware of it, they wouldn't have looked out of place on a Christmas card; three figures swathed in robes as they wandered by starlight in search of an illusive town. However, the reality behind the gently lit, peaceful scene, was much more flea-bitten, dusty and saddle-sore. Kakashi raised one gloved hand to his eyes, brushing the sand from them for what felt like the thousandth time. Swaying slightly in the saddle, wincing as muscles that had never hurt before handed in their notes of resignation, he tried to look on the bright side of their circumstances. For one thing, his Chakra stores were getting a chance to replenish themselves after so much running; his wretched camel was the one carrying his pack, as well as their pilfered supplies and they could travel through both day and night, since the animals appeared to be following the distant scent of water with all the distractibility of a brick wall.

Currently he was supposed to be the one "guiding" the camels and keeping a look-out for any sign of approaching danger, annoyance or Akiraka, while Masurao and Kurotaka slept, slumped over their saddles. This was a much more efficient way to travel; even though the camels couldn't maintain the same speed as the Shinobi would have travelled at themselves, they could keep their lumbering walk going for much longer and they didn't have to waste Chakra in the process. The only real problem that was being met was that of the fact that none of the Chuunin were especially experienced in handling animals any larger than Kakashi's nin-dogs. Camels proved to have more than slightly strong personalities and were not afraid to deliver a spiteful kick or vengeful bite to any Chuunin that came within range. Couple that with the fact that no one knew how to correctly handle the animals and you had the reason behind everyone's growing animosity towards large quadrupeds.

Looking down mournfully at his otherwise oh-so-cool-and-practical leather boots, wrapped with black straps and fastened with silver buckles, Kakashi surveyed the not-so-cool set of camel teeth-marks now taking residence over the toe guard. It was just as well that they were steel-capped inside. He hadn't known that camels could twist their necks far enough around to attempt surgery on their rider's feet. Mind you, he wasn't the only one sporting a full cast of camel dentistry on his clothing. A sizeable chunk had been taken from the sleeve of Kurotaka's kimono, narrowly missing her arm and incurring her more murderous wrath. While it had been quite amusing to watch her dangle aloft, thrashing suspended in the air by her sleeve, which was still lodged firmly in the camel's teeth, the resulting sulk at her fall from grace was proving most irritating. Well… it was still funny, even though he wouldn't say this to her face in order to prevent his own from being rearranged.

Their shuffling had been going for two days virtually non-stop. The mechanical gait of the camels was becoming more forced and the creatures even more resentful of their riders. The amount of ground they had covered though was astonishing. Kakashi would ordinarily have declined using animal transportation based on the fact that it was usually more trouble than it was worth. However, the strength and endurance of their cantankerous mounts was respectable, despite the drawbacks of having to lunge for cover whenever they dismounted, before being charged at with flailing, evil intent.

Kakashi yawned, shuffling from side to side in the saddle. Whoever had designed this thing obviously hadn't ever had to sit in one for any length of time; if they had, then there would have been much more padding and convenient supports to stop you from sliding off and splattering onto the sand every time you fell asleep at the reins. He resumed squinting into the distance; a task that was proving as aggravating as the bruises on his…well… never mind. The herder's prediction of five days before finding any form of civilisation should hopefully be inaccurate, based on the fact that that particular herder had spent most of the five days flailing after a group of directionally-challenged animals that had little interest in going in one direction for any length of time. While not expert camel handlers, the Chuunin had managed to convince their mounts VERY quickly that it was in their best interests to follow their lead. Not that this respect had lasted for very long, as the collective bruises, teeth-marks and crushed toes could vouch for.

Something was slowly appearing in the distance, a murky ribbon trailing through the air and obscuring the waning moonlight. Kakashi straightened, biting his tongue as he realised the foolishness of that move and stared. It was smoke. From a campfire? It couldn't be a town; there would be more fires around if it were a town. Was that Akiraka and Gai camping out ahead of them? He shook his head. It wouldn't be wise to go charging in. For all he knew, it was an ambush lying in wait for miserable travellers such as themselves. There could only be an hour or so until dawn; they would need to be ready in case of an attack.

He let his camel continue at a stately walk towards the smoke spire and bailed off, jumping lightly down to the pale sand, Chakra propelling him back slightly to prevent him from sinking into the ground. The camel ambled on ahead without even a backwards glance. Jogging lightly back across the sand to where the other camels were slowly plodding after the leader, Kakashi reached the flank of Kurotaka's mount and leapt easily into the saddle behind her, perched on top of the water supplies. He sat there quietly for a few moments, then reached down and tapped her gently on the shoulder. There was a groan, a brief shuffle and no response.

Kakashi rolled his eyes at the world in general, leant down and tapped a bit harder. Still no response. With a profoundly evil smirk that was barely visible for his mask, he slid into her saddle, letting his arms entwine around her waist as he leant forward onto her back and hissed in her ear.

"That was amazing… I had no idea you could get into those kind of positions in a saddle".

He ducked just in time as the elbow came soaring to attack, easily deflecting it with his own arms and grinning at Kurotaka as she glared muzzily back at him.

"What the hell did you say? I only caught the last part".

The eye-smile widened. "I don't think you'd like it. Well you might, but I wouldn't like to be in range if it turned out you didn't".

She blinked slowly, still partially asleep. "Why are you in my saddle?"

"Because I enjoy your company?"

"… Why are you REALLY there?"

"There's a campfire not too far ahead of us. It could be friend or foe and with this exam, I'd rather not take chances".

"Fair enough… are you going to wake Masurao in the same fashion?" She smirked evilly at him. "I don't think it's very fair to give us bother different treatment". At the look of disgust on Kakashi's face, she snickered out loud. "It was a joke, okay?"

"Not a very funny one". He was still desperately trying to clear his mind of all thought; such images didn't need to stay.

"You'd better go wake him some other way then. Not that I really mind this".

She said the last part in a voice much lower than the first, barely audible for Kakashi despite the fact he was practically sitting on top of her. Her face was flushed crimson, or at least a darker shade of grey for all the light that was on offer at this unpleasant time of the morning. Kakashi felt a heat rising to his own face as well despite himself. He hesitated, not wanting to release her after this revelation, but also feeling exceptionally uncomfortable. He'd never had any kind of feeling like this before. Being a shadowy, mysterious silver-maned ANBU had gained him his own share of calf-eyed looks from the local Kunoichi, but he had never entertained them. Such stares had always been little more than an ego boost to him, but this time… a Kunoichi was watching him with a level of attention that no one had ever given him. It went beyond calf-eyes to something more personal; it was calculating and level-headed, yet somehow vulnerable. He couldn't drag his attention away. Muscles were sagging, but the grip around her waist never slackened. She continued to hold him in her gaze, smiling nervously; was she afraid of him; afraid of what he would say?

This was a new vulnerability, one that he had never studied; she was completely opening her emotions to him; something she had never done with anyone. One wrong move could completely shred open her guard and leave some terrible wound. He stiffened; what do I do? Then he realised. It was so simple.

Silently, he placed one hand to the rim of his mask, eyes still locked on hers. The navy pupils widened, realising what he was about to do. She was twisted in the saddle, but somehow contrived to raise one hand to his cheek, fingers resting on, entwining with his own. He closed his eyes, holding within his hand both her cool fingers and the skin-tight fabric that concealed his face from view. Slowly, he began to drag the fabric downwards, sliding from the bridge of his nose…

"Ahem".

Startled, both Chuunin spun around in the saddle, flushed with embarrassment as they met Masurao's shrewd stare from where he was reclining precariously in his saddle with a mocking look on his face.

"Come now you two… this is better than watching you argue. Don't let me distract you. Although I'm sure that no one will want to use that saddle ever again…"

There was a crack, a roar, a thud and an outbreak of cursing.

"Damn it all Kakashi! What the hell did you have to do that for?!" Masurao was once again leaving an imprint in the sand, spitting mouthfuls of the gritty substance back onto the desert. His camel had taken off again, trotting in its ungainly fashion to catch up with Kakashi's mount. There was a Kakashi-hand-sized dust imprint on its hindquarters and a strained muscle somewhere as it bucked enthusiastically. Kakashi disentangled himself from Kurotaka with a swift, apologetic glance and leapt nimbly back onto the desert sands.

Striding over to the indentation, Kakashi extended one hand and hauled the indignant Chuunin out of his hole. After he had dusted himself off with as much dignity as he could muster, Masurao turned and affixed his "friend" with an apologetic grin..

"I'm sorry Kakashi… I just couldn't resist. Besides, the middle of some desert isn't exactly the best place in the world for that kind of thing".

Must. Resist. Urge. To. Maim. "And the existence of several hundred nomadic desert clans in this country is proof of what?"

Masurao rolled his eyes. "You know what I mean…" He glanced at Kakashi's mutinous expression. "Fine, maybe you don't, but don't you think that you could have picked a better time for your little heart-to-heart? I mean, come on… how much privacy do you think you'd get with me around, or that gathering up ahead?"

Kakashi had to concede, but still glared out of habit. "Just how long have you been awake for any way?"

"Long enough". He grinned. "Don't worry, chibi, I won't ruin your first relationship with my tactless ways and inappropriate sense of timing. I've been through exactly the same thing; my being your senior in age, ability and charm". Kakashi was staring after Kurotaka, long hair shaken free from its tie as she spurred her camel forward to catch the reins of her companions' mounts. Finally the last comment caught up too his brain. He glared down at Masurao.

"Chibi?!"

"Hey, not so very long ago you were a lot shorter than me, Kakashi-kun. AND I'll always be older and wiser than you. That's something I'm going to hold you to for the rest of your life, no matter how high you soar in assorted ranks… The ANBU never appealed much to me and this way, it needn't ever". Masurao took off, running lightly over the sand to where the three camels and one Kunoichi were awaiting them to catch up. Kakashi couldn't help it; he grinned and sprinted after him.

Damn Masurao and his sense of timing.

Back in the saddle, although not the saddle he'd rather have been in, Kakashi gathered up the reins of his swaggering steed and nudged the animal repeatedly behind the girth with his heels. With a growl of protest at this treatment, the camel broke into a grudging trot, resulting in the others speeding up out of herd instinct. Morning was faintly dawning and the smoke spire was coming closer and closer. It was time they introduced themselves to whatever group of people was up ahead.

Rounding the bulk of yet another towering sand dune, the three Chuunin came face to face with another group of camel-mounted people, who sat their steeds with considerably more pride and skill than the Shinobi. The camp was in the process of being dismantled, the fire just smoking, ashen remains. Kakashi quickly took in the vital details. Seven visible people; native to Wind country by the looks of their dress and build. All of them were male and had a lean, rough air about them, many of them scarred; like terriers kept for hunting. All of the camels were heavily loaded with food and water supplies, as well as collapsible tents, weaponss and tools.

This wasn't an amiable band of travellers; this was either a border patrol or worse.

Within seconds the Shinobi were spotted. It was too late to try and avoid the party; virtually non-existent cover would have resulted in them being seen any way. Casting a genjutsu illusion could help them to escape though, should any unwanted confrontation arise later. A shout went up around the camp and four of the men kicked their camels into life, the other three hastily mounting and came galloping the irritated creatures up the dune towards them.

Kurotaka pushed her camel to stand alongside Kakashi's. "They don't look happy to see us", she commented dryly.

Masurao followed suit, standing more or less on Kakashi's left side as his camel wrenched irritably at the reins. "Don't worry too much… This kind of thing always happens to me".

Kurotaka raised one eyebrow. "Why am I not surprised?"

Masurao easily ignored the insult, "if it's a policing force, they feel obliged to come screaming up at us. It's an inferiority complex, you see. They feel as though they should put on a show of how big and scary they are in order to compensate for the fact that they're really terrified of us".

Kakashi eyed the charging group appraisingly. "They appear to have drawn weapons and now have them levelled at vital areas. Do you still want to hold with the first theory?"

"On second thought, maybe this is an exception to that rule".

"Good idea".

Releasing his feet from the stirrups, Kakashi softly drew a couple of shuriken. He didn't want the camel to take fright while he was fending off an attack, so he prepared to disembark at any moment. He let a lazy trail of Chakra issue from his feet, preparing for that movement which should gain him the advantage in battle. The leader of the charge was coming closer, spear levelled with the chest of Kakashi's camel, great sprays of sand arising with every footfall of his grunting mount. Kakashi let his eyes follow the path of the spear. A crude, limited weapon. The camel shifted beneath him, growling its fright.

In one swift motion, Kakashi cut the ties that held his pack onto the saddle with the edge of a concealed shuriken and lunged upwards, leaping away from the oncoming spear.

The lead rider gave a yelp of surprise and Kakashi's camel bolted, heading back the way it had come at high speed. The Chuunin smirked. Whoever these aggressive people thought they were, they were no ninjas. Arching through the air, he curved in a graceful somersault back to the ground, landing gently on one knee in much the same fashion he had the last time he crashed through a roof. Rattled, the lead rider recovered quickly, levelling the spear again and moving in for the attack as his followers split off to antagonise Kurotaka and Masurao. Kakashi easily dodged it, moving in as the camel charged past him with his shuriken. One fluid slice with the blade's edge, he cut through the saddle's string girth, throwing the rider off balance as the saddle slipped off to one side, girth flapping uselessly.

Leaping from the camel's back, sword drawn, the leader gave a roar and lunged at the Chuunin, curved sword twisting, flashing in complex patterns. Swiftly drawing his own katana and countering a neat thrust, Kakashi let his mind relax. This was the kind of thing he understood. Unknown people suddenly launching into mortal combat with him for no known reason was much more normal to him than trying to form a special kind of understanding with Kurotaka. As the gleaming sword flowed in complicated arches, deflecting Kakashi's attacks with a conservative flourish, the young ANBU was impressed. This was no mere thief; someone had trained this swordsman for a long time in a style that was closer to art form than offensive style. Two blades clashed, metallic ringing filling the ears of both men. They broke apart, circling for a better vantage point, eyes never wavering from the blade of their opponent.

It vaguely crossed Kakashi's mind that he should question this man on exactly why he had chosen to attack their group when they hadn't even had a chance to earn such distrust. As the katana slid through the grey-robed elitist's defence to open a neat gash on the man's forearm, Kakashi decided that he didn't really want to hurt such a good pupil any more than was necessary. Lowering his katana to the sand, he dropped to his knees, eyes on the ground. Behind him, he heard Masurao's gasp of surprise over the clashing of metal on metal. There was a shout he didn't recognise and then a cry from Kurotaka; not of pain, but shock. He looked up at the swordsman standing before him, nursing the long slash down his arm, eyes welled with tears. Kakashi frowned; this was definitely not an experienced soldier.

"I don't want to injure you any more than is needed". Kakashi met the coal-black eyes of the man hunched with pain in front of him. "Skill such as yours shouldn't be destroyed and we didn't come here to fight you anyway".

There came no answer as the man stared back at Kakashi, eyes clouded with pain but seeming not to comprehend the Chuunin's words. The submissive stance he obviously understood, but not Kakashi's reasoning behind it.

"Kakashi! Behind you!" Masurao's voice rang out urgently. Instantly, Kakashi sprang to his feet, seizing the abandoned katana as another sword came crashing down on top of him from behind. Knees buckling, Kakashi pushed the blunt of the katana's blade against the overhead onslaught of the new attacker. A large, weather-beaten face leered down at him, leaning all of his weight against the struggling ANBU as he sunk into the sand from the pressure.

Focus, damn you! Kakashi cursed his mind inwardly and pushed as much Chakra to the soles of his feet as he could spare. The surge of energy burst him forth from the sand, sending his assailant flying backwards. The wounded swordsman leapt at him with a cry, blade an endless flurry. Parrying the strokes nimbly with his katana, Kakashi reached back into the Chakra writhing within his core. With a sudden thrust of his own, he pushed his attacker backwards and clasped his hand into a seal, just as his other opponent leapt in for the kill.

Both men blinked, glancing anxiously at each other. The pale foreigner had vanished. Turning back to the fight that was still raging between the rest of their comrades and the other two strangers, a weird tremor passed through the sand below them. It was as though something was burrowing around underground beneath them.

Two hands shot up from under the surface and both swordsmen found themselves losing height very quickly.

Shaking the sand from him hair with some difficulty, Kakashi resurfaced and glanced momentarily at the two heads shrieking at him in an unfamiliar language from where they were lodged just above ground level. Maybe in future he'd use that jutsu in less sandy ground. Plus now it needed a name. Turning his attentions back to the battlefield, it appeared that Masurao and Kurotaka had been managing exceptionally well by themselves, if the unconscious forms of three desert people sprawled on the sand was anything to go by. One of the others was currently locked in a genjutsu spell, staring unseeingly into the distance, face rapt with horror. Masurao was conducting the spell, one eye fixed on where Kurotaka was dispatching of the last opponent with a strike to the temple.

Kakashi ambled over to them, trying and failing to empty the sand from his clothes. This was going to drive him mad for days. Kurotaka grinned at him, "that was certainly a refreshing way to start the morning, wouldn't you say?"

"I suppose that's one way of putting it". Kakashi shook his head. "They all just attacked us for no reason at all; they never stood a chance either. One of mine was a skilled swordsman; much too skilled to be some thief trash that hangs around the outskirts of towns".

"That's because none of them were thieves". Masurao spoke, voice tight and eyes still locked on the man under his genjutsu. "Look at their clothes, their weapons… these are civilians. They shouldn't be out here, let alone attacking us".

"Look". Kurotaka was crouched over the small group of unconscious men, ignoring the incomprehensible curses of the temporarily decapitated attackers. "They all seem to be wearing the same armband, apart from Kakashi's two, who I can't see". She removed a woven red rag and handed it to Kakashi as Masurao looked on curiously.

Kakashi took it wordlessly, fingering the soft folds of the fabric, fingers running over an embroidered crest. It was a black eagle carrying a sword in its beak, set over a curly text which he couldn't read. "It's some sort of membership badge; a symbol of authority…I don't know what language the words are in though".

Masurao leant over and took it from him, mouth moving as he ran his eyes over the curving text. "It's a form of Sanskrit… one of the any desert texts. I don't think I can read it unless… I suppose… Yes. I've seen this before".

He stared at Kurotaka and Kakashi, deeply troubled. Kurotaka blinked in confusion, "what's wrong? What does it say?"

"It says "The People's Army". You two, I think another war's broken out while we weren't paying attention".

Kakashi shook his head despairingly. "This doesn't bode well… If Akiraka and Gai are still in one of those towns, then they're in very serious danger. We have to find them, and fast".

"It's going to be even harder to get inside one of those cities now", commented Kurotaka, staring towards the north. "And that's not including if we come across one of the country's real defences; the Hidden Sand Shinobi".

Masurao shook his head. "At least this is a sign that we're getting closer. Come on. We have to find them before someone else does".

………..

wild-filly: Once again, I will update as soon as I can – Please review!


	17. Chapter 16

Wild-filly: Thanks to everyone who reviewed, these people being the wonderful xl-black-tears-lx, Tora Macaw, JapanAnimeGirl, Anime Lance, Katzuki, kimpster and Veve. Since wild-filly will be away for three weeks from reliable internet connection after 1st January, she has to apologise for a large break that may come until she gets another chance to update Much apologies for this… I promise to get back into writing mode after visiting the rest of the clan in Scotland (yes, wild-filly is Scottish; living about as far south as you can get without living in Antarctica, but still Scottish – let that explain the random sense of humour). Assorted comments have been taken on board and appropriate measures taken – thanks Katzuki! (grin)... I almost forgot…

Disclaimer: Still don't own; if I did, then… well… let's not get into details

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Okumen Gokurakuchou: Chapter 16

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Speed was now of the essence. Since their Chakra stores were now more or less fully replenished, the three Shinobi removed the tack and packs from their camels and released the animals to join Kakashi's mount, already far in the distance and still gaining speed. They would stand a much better chance of survival out here than the Chuunin would at least. Camels were useful, foreign Shinobi were annoying… it was strange how value systems worked. Dividing up the dried provisions and heavy water skins between them, the ninja took off even before the camels had vanished from view, running easily over the slippery sands as the sun slowly came over the horizon. As they loped over the boggy surface, Kakashi realised that he never wanted to sit in a saddle again; running all the way was a far less painful option. Besides, after divesting the two less-than-professional attackers from the sand and giving them a slight concussion in order to let the Chuunin get a head start before they called for backup, they should be less easy to spot without their mounts. They hadn't been malicious enough to chase away the camels belonging to the other men, but malicious enough to mutilate their saddlery.

Masurao was currently leading, against Kakashi's private better judgment, but he hadn't drifted offcourse yet. Not that that wouldn't come soon, of course. In order to avoid the attentions of lesser defence forces, Masurao was currently casting a genjutsu shade over the trio, disguising them as yet more sand in the desert. Perfect camouflage really. The genjutsu was taxing on Chakra supplies, but this one wasn't extremely complex, so Masurao could maintain it for longer. After he was tired, either Kurotaka or himself would take over.

Having hardly slept that night, Kakashi was feeling that irritating bite of fatigue yet again. It was so unfair… As soon as he found Gai, he was going to treat him to a bit of verbal abuse. That thought raised his spirits somewhat, yet failed to give him any additional energy. He truly was coming to hate deserts. After this mission, he didn't want to visit one ever again. If the ANBU saw fit to give him a desert-crossing mission, then he would threaten to hand his resignation. With any luck all his years of service and undetected crime in the force would act in his favour… or leave him unemployed and bitter. Ah, the possibilities.

"Another patrol!" Kurotaka hissed in his ear, sprinting to come up alongside him and accelerating to catch up to Masurao and pass on the message. Judging by the sweat beading on the older Chuunin male's brow, the combination of genjutsu, running and early heat were starting to get to him. Kakashi sped up, drawing level so that all three of them were running abreast, Masurao in the middle. Having drawn up to them, Kakashi slowed, eyes intent on Masurao's clouded face as the other two slowed to keep pace with him.

"You going to be alright?" He murmured to Masurao, eyes travelling from the tiring Chuunin to the huddle of mounted soldiers a couple of hundred metres away from them. The patrol was plodding sedately in their direction, but obviously hadn't spotted them thanks to the illusion.

"I'm fine, I'm fine… Let's just get out of their way quickly, okay?" The dark haired Chuunin's voice was strained, the combined Chakra drain obviously affecting him. Kakashi cursed under his breath; they didn't need Masurao's genjutsu to falter now.

"Don't squirm", he ordered. Masurao cocked an eyebrow at him appraisingly, too tired even to ask him what he was doing. Kurotaka glanced over at Kakashi and exchanged a meaningful look with him. Together, they placed one hand under each of Masurao's elbows, hoisting him above the ground and sprinted on.

"What the hell?" True to his implied word, Masurao didn't move, but he glared down venomously at Kakashi and proceeded to mutter curses down at him. "I'm not that tired you morons!" The hastily-constructed human sling continued making its jagged, laboured way across the sands in the much the same fashion as a drunken crab.

"We can't take that chance", growled Kakashi through gritted teeth. Supporting both his own and Masurao's weight over the soft sand was proving more challenging than he had anticipated. At least now the other Chuunin could devote all of his vital Chakra towards maintaining their camouflage, instead of trying not to sink into the desert's depths. Kurotaka was silent, but Kakashi figured that she was probably having the same difficulties.

For all the ridiculous and impractical features of their current position, the Shinobi were able to keep up a respectable pace and drew away from the plodding troops. Finally they outdistanced the soldiers far enough for Masurao to be lowered back to his feet, arms folded and expression highly indignant.

"That was completely unnecessary you two". The pout he was wearing was quite fetching on his delicate features, scarcely marred by his years of Shinobi training. "I'm an expert when it comes to genjutsu; there wasn't a snowball's chance in hell of me dropping that illusion".

"I know that", growled Kakashi, massaging his arm in hope of attracting a little life into it. How much weight had his friend put on since the last time he'd had to use that trick? "But you also don't usually have to keep running at the same time, especially not over quicksand".

"All the same, I'm offended that you thought so lowly of my abilities. I may not be as fit as the two of you, but I do pride myself on my Chakra control. And by the way Kakashi, you know that little move you pulled earlier? I was the one who invented that technique, you lousy copycat ninja; so don't try to take any inventive credit for it". It was too late; a sulk was well and truly imminent. Kakashi rolled his eyes and chose to ignore it, while Kurotaka looked on with mild confusion. Then she blinked.

"Kakashi, Masurao… I don't think we picked the right place to stop".

"What now?" Kakashi turned to gaze at where she was staring distractedly. "I don't see anything…" Then he felt it. How could be have been so blind? His eyes widened in shock. "Hit the ground now!"

His shout came none too late. A great explosion ripped over their heads as the Chuunins' knees buckled and they hastily collapsed to the sand, flattening and sprawling themselves against the gritty surface for protection. Kakashi rolled over onto his side; legs braced to either propel him back to his feet or flatten himself against the ground again. There was a series of cracks and another volley of fire shot overhead, narrowly missing Kurotaka's ponytail. Sliding closer to Kakashi, she whispered. "How could they have seen us so quickly? Masurao only dropped the illusion for a few moments…"

Numb, Kakashi shook his head. "That other patrol group was a decoy; this is the real one. They must have set up weaker patrol groups to drive any foreigners in the direction of the stronger troops, literally driving all of the people currently in the desert into a convenient corral. Concealed ninja would fall into that category".

"Shall I cast another genjutsu?" Masurao joined their sprawl, crawling army-style closer to them. "I should be able to distract them by throwing an illusion. We can escape while they're investigating it".

Kakashi squinted upwards, trying to sight the enemy while not coming into convenient line of fire. They were concealing themselves in a sand dune or something. He could sense their presence, but not actually pinpoint it. "They're using weapons that Shinobi avoid, but I have a feeling that there's at least one Hidden Sand ninja somewhere in their number. No mere police official would be able to cast such a camouflage".

"You don't think another illusion would work?"

"As of the moment, not really".

" I can pinpoint them if you wish. Since they already know where we are, I needn't fear having my Chakra signal becoming stronger and giving away out position. They can more or less tell that we're face-first in the sand over here".

Masurao glanced over at where Kurotaka was lying, head propped up by both her hands, now clasped in a seal with her eyes closed. "How do you intend to do that?"

She opened her eyes and grinned at him, crimson pupils flaring. The other Chuunin hissed a swift intake of breath. "Uchiha? I was under the impressio that you carried the surname Yumenimo… Why don't you carry the name of your heritage?" He stared at her with a combination of suspicion and confusion.

"Because I'm not like them".

Masurao blinked. "That doesn't make sense. If you're not like them, then why do you have the Sharingan? A tri-comma Sharingan pair as well, I might add. That just doesn't add up".

She rolled her bloody eyes. "I was trying to sound cool, okay? I'm an unwanted bastard, that's why I carry my mother's surname".

"Fair enough". He grinned back at her. "Nothing wrong with having unconventional parentage, after all, bastards change history all the time, right? When they aren't hunted down and… uh… disposed of…" The grin was fading as Masurao regretted having opened his mouth to insert one ninja-sandaled foot.

She stared at him. "When has that ever happened?"

"Oh, during obscure dynasties and royalty and such… 'twas a random comment". The relief on his face that she hadn't glared at him or worse for the ending comment was very clear.

"Quite…" She turned her attentions back to the concealed attackers somewhere in the dunes beyond. Her eyes narrowed. Kakashi could feel her Chakra building, swirling around her form despite her stern control over its movements. It occurred to him that for all the Sharingan's benefits, it was a taxing technique to use. Against her will, just about all of Kurotaka's Chakra was joining in with the Sharingan's activation. Perhaps the elitist Uchiha clan was not without its weaknesses after all. She was frowning, biting gently down on her lip in effort.

"There. They've constructed tunnels with arrow-slit openings inside the dunes. I can just pick out the Chakra circulations of at least thirty people. Can't tell what gender they are, or their strength, but I think two of them are Hidden Sand Shinobi. Their inner Chakras are partially concealed against me". The red glow faded and the three black commas ceased their spinning, melting into the dark irises within as she turned to grin triumphantly at Kakashi and Masurao. "At least we know what their secret is".

"So our best move would be to get past their little fort and let the Shinobi come to us, if they catch up, that is". Kakashi smirked. No secrets now. "Could you lead on with the Sharingan, so we don't come into the line of fire? I can take care of the Shinobi when they choose to emerge… Masurao… you can hold the bags".

"But of course". She smiled arrogantly as Masurao rolled his eyes in exasperation, mouth moving in preparation for a volley of insults directed towards his lanky friend. "Don't get left behind though; we'll have to move fast". The scarlet returned to her eyes as she leapt to her feet, sprinting across the sand as a hail of bullets erupted after her. Kakashi plunged after her, picking his way through her path, just as Masurao chased after him, with or without murderous intent. The noise of the guns was remarkable, sending chunks of sand pelting up from the desert as the bullets struck, but they simply weren't fired fast enough. Marksmen the concealed attackers may be, but they had seldom tried to shoot ninja that were aware of their location.

A glint of sunlight reflected off the silver barrel of a rifle, catching Kakashi's eyes as he dodged the shots that were now being fired at random, the marksmen now becoming desperate to strike one of the flitting, Shinobi. Kurotaka's path was random, jagged and uncertain, straying into blind spots frequently. Drawing a shuriken from its holster as he ran, Kakashi threw with all the accuracy that a lifetime of training under a legendary father and sensei had to offer. The spinning, razor-sharp blade skimmed easily through the air, homing in on the spied rifle. There was a shearing sound, harshly metallic as a small shower of sparks flashed through the air. Dropping his weapon with a cry of alarm, the sand-coloured robed marksman stared in horror at his useless gun and the blunted shuriken lying innocently on the floor.

The trigger had been sawn clean off.

From the distance, Kakashi could hear the faint cries of surprise that echoed around the hidden chamber in the sand and permitted himself a slight grin. It was nice to know that one still had the knack to cause trouble, even when supposedly being the one IN trouble. The gunshots seemed to be dying down, the dust clearing and deathly quiet of the desert setting in. Kurotaka glanced over her shoulder, calling back to the other Chuunin.

"We've passed their tunnels completely now! We should be nearly…" Her words were cut off with a high, pain-filled shriek and she collapsed to the sand, limp as a doll.

"Kurotaka!" Kakashi bolted, sprinting as hard as he could towards the fallen Kunoichi. All he had seen… a slow-spinning shuriken coming in a lazy arc straight for her head as she turned to call out to them. The sand beneath him didn't seem to provide any foothold, giving way completely to his weight. He floundered, Chakra pushing him upwards with earnest, yet still failing to let him continue on towards her. What was going on here? Why was he sinking…she needed his help… he couldn't move… he had to move.

"Konohagakure… I might have guessed. No other village would send Shinobi as weak as these".

The voice reached his brain, but simply didn't connect with anything. He stared uselessly at Kurotaka, lying completely motionless on the desert floor as the breeze dusted her with sand. He had to get over there somehow, if only his feet would find purchase…

"Kakashi! Get a grip of yourself!" Masurao's voice roared over the fog that was Kakashi's consciousness. "You're in a goddamn trap, you baka!" There was anger there, but also panic. The fear in his friend's voice gave Kakashi a brief revisit to sanity. He blinked, scrubbing the sand from his eyes, but found that he was up to his chest in the stuff. Freezing, Kakashi tried to regain the ground that he had lost in his horror at witnessing Kurotaka's fall. He had to help her, but if he was sucked into his quagmire then he'd be of no use to anyone.

"Kakashi!" Masurao's voice came from somewhere to his left, but he didn't dare move to look at him. The only way to get out of this… he had to stay still and think of a plan; anything that would prevent him from sinking further. He heard a metallic clink, a gasp of pain and then a soft thud as Masurao crumpled into a heap near Kakashi, yet mercifully out of the range of this quicksand.

"Foolish little children… is this what the Hidden Leaf sends to do its dirty work?" A rasping, heavily accented voice rasped in Kakashi's ear. He shuddered; the lone Shinobi had emerged from the quicksand directly behind him, sinuously worming his way from out of the slippery depths. He let his one free hand move to a concealed kunai within his other sleeve. Even if he was currently at an exceptional disadvantage, he still had to try for any opening that may come. He couldn't quite see his opponent yet, but had a feeling that he soon would; no one could resist toying with an opponent so completely trapped.

"You thought that the little commoners with their toys were to be your only enemies?" The voice was smoother now, mocking. Kakashi didn't dare move. He couldn't afford to sink further into the sand; at the rate he was vanishing, he'd be in more danger of suffocation than any other attack the revealed Shinobi could offer. As the other ninja moved into sight, Kakashi bit his lip until he tasted blood.

The Shinobi was little more than a skeleton, bronzed by the sun and beaten by the desert to something lean and twisted. He leered back at Kakashi with two colourless eyes, not unlike those of the Hyuuga clan back in Konoha, but these were obviously not natural. Whatever part of his body wasn't covered with dust-coloured robes was riddled with scarring, more severe even than that of some of the ANBU whom Kakashi had seen coming off the battlefield.

"Do you enjoy staring at death, little ninja?" The blank eyes gave away no emotion, yet the warped mouth dripped with sarcasm. "This is what a true Shinobi of the desert looks like; one whose body has been claimed utterly by it. The sheltered upbringing you've had in Konoha is nothing compared to the ravaging of time and the wilderness". Kakashi tore his gaze away from those tortured eyes. There had been little that was sheltered in being brought up on a battlefield, but this just went on to prove that no matter how bad your life may seem, there's always someone out there with an even worse fare than your own.

"Our training in the ninja arts differs, but myself and my companions did not come here to pose any threat to the nation protected by the Hidden Sand". He was interrupted by a wheezing laugh.

"Where has your head been, little ninja? You cannot simply walk into our proud nation in the midst of war! Not that this matters". The colourless eyes closed and Kakashi could feel the swirling of Chakra building up around him. "Not very much will be mattering to you after this". Swiftly drawing the concealed kunai, Kakashi hurled it right at that scarred, twisted face, forcing the other ninja to duck and tear his attention away. Now was his chance. It was time to rip off Masurao's jutsu again.

Head turning back to where Kakashi had been, a slow, dark brown bead of blood dripping down the bridge of his crushed nose. The kunai had nicked the leathery skin, but there hadn't been much to attack as far as vulnerable areas went. Colourless eyes narrowed. The silver-haired young Shinobi had vanished, swallowed by the desert trap that had been laid out for him and the other members of his team.

"Nice try, little Konohagakure. My sand is not so easy to burrow away from though". The eyes glowed golden, as gold as the wandering sands at the pinnacle of the day's heat. A golden glow arose, forming a hazy mist over the pit into which Kakashi had been engulfed entirely. Slowly, the sands began to swirl as though stirred by an invisible hand, golden particles of Chakra flitting into and under the sand. The Shinobi smiled gently. "Suffocation is so unpleasant… but at least you're already buried".

"Guess again".

The voice came from behind, a lone figure standing entirely unscathed at the Hidden Sand shinobi's back. Disbelieving, the ninja whirled around, throwing a handful of sand, bound by golden Chakra towards Kakashi, stance unnervingly casual. The sand was dispersed before it could strike, Kakashi lazily drawing the katana as the other ninja stood there in shock.

"How did you get out of the pit? None can escape when the golden winds sift the sand…"

The ninja before him made no reply, eyes creased in a cocky smile as the blade of the unsheathed katana glittered menacingly in the bright sunlight. The Sand Shinobi grinned back. "It was a nice try, I give you that… but I won't be fooled by your mere shadow". One ravaged hand snapped back nimbly, flicking a long acupuncture needle towards the unmoving Kakashi. The needle pierced straight through his neck, dissolving the Kage Bunshin into smoke.

Sand swirled all around him. It filled his ears, his eyes, crept in at his mouth and nose still covered by the blessed mask. Darkness, deafness, nothingness. He was being thrown uselessly by each of the Chakra-stirred torrents. Blood pounded in his skull, lungs screaming for air. Muscles squealed as they were twisted and turned each way about, bending his bones. Pain burst from every pore as sand grazed, tore at his skin. He could feel his mind shutting down, giving in. He couldn't let it all go like this, not here, not now. The summoning scroll was tight in his fingers. The last thing he grabbed before letting the sands swallow him whole. Chakra failed to come to him, mind poisoned by desperate need. Panic was setting in; he needed air, he needed help, he needed to help the others…

That thought burst forth and cleared his head, hands painfully finding one another in the suffocating, gritty blackness. Chakra flooded forward, pushing itself into the scroll. He hadn't been able to bleed onto the summoning symbols, but it wasn't necessary if he was in an emergency situation. He felt the golden Chakra slowing, not throwing him around so turbulently. The scroll was unfurling, pushing itself a path through the sand. Stars glittered in his vision, blackness dissolving the dark that was already in his eyes. Something furry brushed his arm, a welcome change from the grazing, searing sand that rushed past him.

It was suddenly light, a blinding brightness. Sand fell from him and air rushed to his tortured lungs. He drew a great, gasping breath, sand choking him still. A muzzle pressed towards him, hot, stinking breath at his face, teeth bared in a snarl as they ripped off the mask that choked him. Kakashi couldn't see which of his nin-dogs had helped him, he couldn't see anything at the moment. There was a rabid, frenzied snarling in the background. They must be attacking the Shinobi themselves while he was recovering.

"Hey Kakashi, what the hell were you thinking? Have you any idea how rude it is to summon us when you're UNDERGROUND?!"

Gods damn you Pakkun.

The snuffling face was still at his, lowered as he hunched on all fours on the sand, heaving air into his lungs and fighting off unconsciousness. The light was no longer so offensive as he hesitantly cracked one eye open. Pakkun's hairy face stared back at him. The light definitely wasn't so offensive in comparison to that sight. He staggered to his feet, drawing the katana that had survived the sandpapering considerably better than Kakashi had.

"Cheap trick, little Konohagakure ninja. Getting your dogs to fight where you can't".

Kakashi stared, eyes muzzily focussing as he blotted out the pain from his sand lacerations. The Shinobi leered back at him, colourless eyes maddened with pain as blood oozed from dog bites all over his body. His great bulldog had fastened his teeth onto the back of the ninja's neck, forcing the skeletal man onto his knees as blood pooled to the sand around him. Kakashi coughed, spitting out yet more sand.

"You call that a cheap trick? Since when is sandpapering someone to death not cheap?" He raised the katana, weighting the blade in his hands. "I would rather not do this, but I will not hesitate". Kurotaka and Masurao were still motionless on the sand. The pain from his body was inferior to the pain in his chest, aching for their pain, aching with anger. He could feel his shoulders shaking, the blade of the katana wavering. The Sand Shinobi grinned mirthlessly. "So touchy over your fallen comrades? A ninja is always alone, you fool. At the end of the day, we are born alone and we die alone".

"You forgot something important there". He drove forwards, muscles given a new lease of energy as he pounded towards the exposed ninja, katana extended before him. He did not hesitate, eyes never leaving the colourless depths of his opponent. The tempered steel slid into the wiry chest like a hot knife through butter, piercing the heart and releasing a great spurt of darkened blood. Raw pain flooded the ninja's face, breath gasping and coughing, spitting up a great clot of blood. Kakashi leant forwards, eyes still level with those of the Sand shinobi's.

"We may be alone at the beginning and the end, but we can't live alone. It is the middle decides the true end, not the beginning". His eyes were blank as he drew away from the dying ninja, sliding the katana from the shinobi's ribs and wiping it on the sand before sheathing it again. "It's a shame that you didn't have longer to meditate on that little statement".

The great bulldog's jaws slackened and dropped the dead ninja to the ground. The dark, furry face affixed Kakashi with a serious stare. "This one would have killed you is you had called us a moment later. I do not like the risks you take, Kakashi-puppy". The low, growling voice didn't suit the context. Kakashi knew better than to wince at the belittlement. He owed the dogs a lot at this point.

"I know. I'm sorry". It was easier to apologise for now. He hurried over to where Masurao was being licked into consciousness by three other dogs of assorted breeds. "You three! He's allergic, remember?" With a whine, the dogs retreated and with a groan, Masurao sat up. He stared blankly at Kakashi, then his eyes trailed over the pack of dogs sitting around him with profoundly disgusted expressions on their canine faces. Then he touched his face, sticky with slobber.

"That's disgusting! Kakashi, how could you?!"

Kakashi face-faulted, "what the hell do you mean by that?! It was the dogs, not me…"

Masurao grimaced, scrubbing at his face and then wincing as he found a wound at the back of his head. "I didn't mean it was you, baka, I meant you let those dogs just drool all over me… Shit this is a bad headache". He glared blearily at his fellow Chuunin, still reeling with disgust and trying to delete those words from his memory. "I take it he got me from behind… how badly is it bleeding?"

Kakashi parted his friend's hair, staring critically at the jagged wound hidden by the short black locks. It wasn't pretty, that was for sure. "You may want a stitch or two in it. He'd obviously intended for you wake up after he'd killed me. One on one is usually more entertaining".

Masurao muttered under his breath, "charming. Let's just hope that Kurotaka fell into the entertainment category as well". Kakashi nodded, throat tight. He hardly dared to turn and look in her direction for fear of what he would see… a shuriken's gouge in her throat, blood pooled all around her still sinking into the sand. A full-on strike to the face… how could she not have been mutilated terribly? All of that time left alone as well while he was in danger himself… he hardly dared to hope for her safety. With legs of lead, he walked over to where she was still sprawled, still completely motionless and silent.

The scent of blood filled his nostrils, he drew the mask back over his face from habit as he hunched over her limp form, facedown in the sand. Gently, carefully he rolled her over onto her back and stared in a mixture of shock and relief. Blood still oozed from a wound, but it was on her cheek, not her throat as it should have been. A great slit went from the end of her nose to the furthest tip of her left eye, vivid red blood streaming down to stain her face, her clothes, the sand beneath her. He gently probed the wound with his fingers, their tips sinking into raw flesh as it bubbled to meet him. There didn't seem to be any toxins in it other than sand; she had fainted from the pain and then had been able to get enough air to revive with her head in the sand.

"Kurotaka-chan?" He withdrew his fingers and cradled her head in one hand and his lap as the other foraged behind him, delving blindly into his pack in search of his water canteen. Masurao passed it to him, face writ with concern. "How much blood has she lost?"

"Wounds to the face are usually overdramatic when it comes to blood loss", stated Kakashi, withdrawing to analytical means to hide his fears. "They look worse than they are…" He trickled some water into the corner of her mouth, cutting a path through the wide bloodstain. At first there was no response. At last she twitched, eyes opening and then shutting again. Then one opened, the eye closest to the cut kept determinedly closed. She stared up at Kakashi, lips moving soundlessly. He moved the canteen back to her lips and she drank, eye closing again. She drank deeply and struggled, shifting her head out of Kakashi's hands as she sat up, one eye still gummed shut with blood.

"Kakashi-kun? Have I been blinded? I can't open one eye and my face hurts". Her speech was slurred, but her breathing was regular, steadying.

"You haven't been blinded, Kurotaka-chan. There is a nasty cut on your face though, just under your eye". He could feel a blush rising to his cheeks as Masurao shook his head disdainfully at the endearment, but chose to ignore him. She nodded blithely, raising one hand to probe the wound for herself. She winced as puffy, raw flesh met her fingers. "That's not going to heal well at this rate…"

The next two hours were spent doctoring wounds and making a serious dent in their medical supplies. None of them was without bandaging somewhere on their person and no one felt like running anywhere. The ninja-style run had been reduced to a jog at best. Fortunately for the miserable Chuunin though, smoke spires were creeping on the horizon by the time night started to fall.

Masurao rubbed his head gingerly yet again, chewing morosely on a strip of tough dried meat. "I can't wait until tomorrow… we'll finally reach civilisation. I couldn't give a damn if it arrested us the instant we arrived, just as long as it gives us food other than this old shoe that we've been living on". He sneered at the jerky contemptuously and bit it with considerably more violence than most people would usually use.

Kakashi sighed, "I may know exactly how a freshly-sandpapered table feels, but I can still cast a genjutsu shade over us long enough for us to acquire suitable disguises. If we push ourselves tomorrow, we'll be able to get some more medical supplies at the town and look for information regarding Akiraka".

"What about Gai?" Kurotaka's voice was muffled. The shuriken tear on her face was stiffening, making it harder and less pleasant for her to talk. At least the blood flow had stopped, but it still wasn't going to heal very well.

"What about him? Don't you think I'm in enough pain without having to contemplate the idea of him rejoining us soon?"

"I was just checking that you weren't excluding him on purpose… he's not a nasty person or anything. You're just being petty for some reason".

"We've had this discussion already". Kakashi rolled his eyes and regretted it. Kurotaka shook her head. "In that case I'm going to sleep now. If either of you see anything dangerous, don't wake me. I'm not interested until I've had at least three hours of peace".

"It's alright for some people", growled Masurao, throwing away his chunk of jerky in disgust and clumsily divesting the blanket from his pack. "If I tried that tact, then I'd be thrown to whatever was dangerous in the first place".

Kakashi nodded, eyes not leaving where Kurotaka lay. Her breathing was rhythmic, easier now. With her face turned away from him, he couldn't even see the scar she had gained today. It was almost as if today's horrors had never happened; he hadn't had to take life for fear of losing not only his own, but that of Masurao's and Kurotaka's.

He only knew one thing. He didn't want to have to see that happen again.

It was just a shame he was in exactly the wrong place at the right time.

…………

wild-filly: Please review! I will be fighting tooth and nail to get to the keyboard of every computer I find while away, so please be patient with my three-week break. Thank you!


	18. Chapter 17

Wild-filly: Yes! At long last wild-filly has managed to relocate herself back to the computer chair and some semblance of a creative spurt after her long venture to the northern reaches. Now suffering from a cold as well as a bad attack of school (last year of high-school now… oh the horrors) and therefore, offers the standard flimsy excuses for slow updates. I kind of have to concentrate on homework this year, much to my disappointment. Trust me, I'd much rather be writing this fanfic, but unfortunately I don't get paid for it so… (sighs) education elbows its way to the head of the priority list.

Much thanks to all who left comments and also to those who wished me well on my holidays! Very kind of you all to do so. Gratitude goes to Tora Macaw, rose, Anime Lance, kimpster, Katzuki, JapanAnimeGirl, Grummur, xl-twisted-lx and cara. Your support makes it all worthwhile (uncharacteristically cheerful grin).

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, so quit rubbing it in…

………..

Okumen Gokurakuchou: Chapter 17

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"So… precisely how are we going to break into a fortified, highly-suspicious, highly-anti-Shinobi and awkwardly positioned town again?"

"If you wish to be sarcastic, then kindly step several miles off to one side and then proceed as much as you want".

Sheltered by a camouflage net created by the three Shinobis' joint Chakra supplies, Masurao rolled his eyes extravagantly and glared back at the scribbled diagrams currently etched into the sand. Planning for this part of the mission was currently under scrutiny, based on the fact that said planning had taken place without knowing exactly what it was going to come up against. Kakashi was staring pensively at the sand, peering over at the town and its dramatic, towering stone walls with a kind of distracted annoyance every so often as he traced aimless patterns in the dirt. Kurotaka looked on at them both with a bored and pained expression, unable to put in her share of offensive dialog due to the stiffness of her cheek and the extensive muffling that the bandages around her face created. The morning light was history, replaced by the obnoxiously bright glare of mid-afternoon and the suffocating heat that accompanied it. Thinking was hard enough, let alone executing the plans that sprang from it. All in all, things had become unreasonably difficult.

"Our best chance is definitely to use a disguise; one that doesn't require a lot of Chakra and doesn't attract too much attention". Kakashi gave up sketching his squiggly sand patterns and stared at Masurao bitterly. "You don't say? Any bright ideas considering that then?"

"What was that you said just then about sarcasm?"

"Since when do you listen to me any way?"

"Fair point" Masurao conceded, cupping his chin in one hand as he stared thoughtfully at the town. "Judging by the size of it they'd probably have a sizeable police force… one that may also have a large imprisonment area for bandits or thieves…" His musing was suddenly supported by a vigorous nodding from Kurotaka, who began to scrawl kanji onto the sand at a furious rate. She glared down intensely as she drew, murmuring unintelligible curses as the sand failed to retain the shapes of her lettering.

Kakashi leant over the smeared, sifting words, disappearing even as the sand shifted under their weight. It truly was useless stuff for any purpose as far as Kakashi was concerned. "It looks like a cat with wings… is that your idea?" A venomous glare from Kurotaka and muffled "baka" were sufficient answer. Masurao leaned over speculatively, a slow smile spreading over his face as he struggled to make sense of the distorted words.

"Hey Kakashi?"

He hated those words… he truly did. "What?"

"I think there's one disguise you could pull off with no effort whatsoever".

Kakashi shut his eyes, expression pained. This was going to be insulting. "Do enlighten me".

"A public nuisance, and a scruffy one at that".

Well, Kurotaka was the only one who had made a pledge of non-violence towards Kakashi. Kakashi certainly hadn't offered Masurao the same favour.

………

"These bindings are uncomfortable. They happen to be chafing parts of me which have already been thoroughly sanded". Plucking irritably at the rope that now loosely bound his wrists together, Kakashi glared mutinously at Masurao as he strode on easily ahead of them, leading both him and Kurotaka up to the massive double-doors that screened the bustle of the inner town from view. Appearing to be girt in identical garments to the hostile men that the three had encountered, Masurao was the only one to be under a genjutsu spell, with the efforts of all the Shinobi focused on him alone. This would ensure that the spell would not only last longer, but also appear more realistic. With any luck he would be able to pull off the role of a minor member of the local civilian military with ease. On the down side, it meant that Kakashi and Kurotaka had to trudge along behind him, carrying all of the bags between them and bound "tightly" by the wrists.

"Quit talking, vermin". Masurao winked back at him. "You should remember your place in decent society".

Ah, he was going to pay for this later…

Staggering up to the main gates and waiting expectantly, four guards stepped forward from their own, smaller entrance to meet the one disguised and two bedraggled ninja with questioning expressions and suspicious eyes. An older man stared pointedly at Masurao's face, scowling faintly as he surveyed the miserable party. "I don't recognise you, even though you bear the insignia of the People… which division of the militia are you from?" Pale blue eyes pinned Masurao's gaze, forcing the Shinobi to meet his stare as he replied. "I'm afraid I'm not of any true importance sir, I was sent back from my group with some prisoners while they're bringing the more valuable, troublesome thieves". The height of wounded dignity, Kakashi couldn't help smile behind his mask; Masurao may not have the best life-preservation skills in the world, but he certainly was a brilliant actor when it came to winning sympathy for himself. "I haven't been given a ranking, just chores. So I'm afraid I didn't pay much attention when I was sent out with this other division a while ago".

A couple of the younger guards were nodding, sympathetic. It was a common complaint and an easy one to appeal towards. But the older man didn't look convinced. "What's your name, young man? I've lived in this town all my life and I have never seen anyone that even vaguely resembles you. Also…" He ran a hawk's stare over Kakashi and Kurotaka, predator-like in his surveillance. Kakashi felt the pit of his stomach lower. He knew… he knew a foreign Shinobi when he saw one.

"Thieves don't carry such expensive concealed weaponry. Nor do they walk with practised grace when they forget what role they're supposed to be acting. Nor do they travel with their bonds half-tied".

"Time to move" hissed Kakashi as three of the four guards drew their curved swords, advancing on him and Kurotaka with murder in their eyes as Masurao frantically tried to provide a new explanation for the older man. There wasn't a chance Kakashi was leaving his life in the hands of Masurao's hair-brained stories. He let the ropes slide uselessly to the ground, swiftly drawing a kunai in each hand. His katana had been wrapped up and stored out of sight in one of the bags; he hadn't realised that he would need it; he hadn't realised that not all guards were exceptionally dense and unsuited to any kind of intellectual task. Also, he was ever-aware of Kurotaka's partial blindness on one side. The wound had cut deeper than any of them had originally thought, curving up and slicing the flesh under her lower eyelid beneath the skin. A nasty wound, certainly, and potentially life-threatening when it came to this situation. As two of the guards surged towards him, he had no choice but to push Kurotaka's troubles from his mind and take care those that had suddenly entered his.

A ringing, shrieking of metal on metal, sparks flaring off the met blades as Kakashi countered both swords with a kunai each. His arms were splayed wide, vulnerable. One of his opponents sought to quickly strike to his exposed belly, but Kakashi kicked up, knocking the blade to one side and breaking away, leading the two out of Kurotaka's range. She was currently engaged in hand-to-hand combat, having successfully caught the sword's blade in her hands and yanked it away, tossed out of reach. With any luck she could hold her own while he took care of these two.

The swords slashed towards him, forcing him to duck and arch around the curving, lethal arcs of the deadly blades. Reading the paths of such weapons was easy, but countering them when they are held in two entirely different hands was another thing, especially if you weren't also carrying a weapon of similar calibre to match them.

Well. That's where ninjutsu comes into it. The Art of Dirty Tricks.

Kakashi met the two blades again with a resounding clatter, this time forcing all of his weight against one, letting the other man step in. There was a shredding, slicing as the curved sword cleaved its way through Kakashi's chest, separating it from the rest of his body. With a surprised intake of breath, the two men stopped, swords lax in their hands as they stared in confusion at the pile of sand now dumped at their feet. Uncertain, one of them kicked at the soft pile gingerly, retreating his foot hastily as the sand collapsed limply. From where he was now perched mid-way up the wall, suctioned there by Chakra and staring critically down at his would-be assassins, Kakashi decided against killing them by simply throwing a brief volley of shuriken. Obviously neither of these two had come against a ninja before; it wasn't bad to have incompetent enemies around. Now that their opponent seemed to have dissolved into a pile of sand, they were completely confused and seemed to have quite forgotten that they were supposed to be looking for him.

Turning his attentions over to where Kurotaka was still sparring furiously, he felt a dull surge of anger roar to the surface. Her opponent was considerably taller and heavier than she, not that this would normally make a difference; if anything it would give Kurotaka the advantage for being more nimble and harder to target. In this case though, he was using his weight to his advantage, knocking her off balance on her blinded side and then cutting in again when she was still winded. Blood was oozing from her mouth, the cut on her cheek had split open again and was adding to the crimson flow, trickling down her stained kimono. He couldn't see her eyes, but he knew by her laboured movements that she was fading. She would never forgive him for stepping in to take her fight from her, but at this particular moment, he felt that he could live with that lack of forgiveness.

His own previous attackers were now shuffling over to watch the ensuing fight between Kurotaka and her opponent, even as Masurao continued to argue with the older man. There seemed to be a slim chance that Masurao's story would work, based on the fact that he hadn't had to draw his own weapons yet. Keeping that in mind, Kakashi couldn't kill anybody, but he certainly wasn't going to let that stand in his way should his own life be threatened. Leaping down from the wall, he sprinted over to where Kurotaka and her opponent were now locked, braced against one another. Her arms were rigid in a block against his arm strike, while his legs were frozen back against her kick. They were in a competition of balance and muscle strength – which one of them could hold the stance the longest and still be able to land the attack. Kakashi hung back, not wanting to reveal his presence to the remarkably inobservant guards just a couple of metres in front of him. He wouldn't interrupt her, but he would make sure that these two wouldn't either.

Sweat and blood were beaded in watery red droplets on her face, black and white hair mussed, sweat-streaked and bloody, but Kuro's eyes didn't seem to be as wearied as the rest of her. She was currently glaring at the guard and this seemed to be sufficiently unnerving him from making any additional attack. Her limbs were shaking, exhausted and bloody, but they still stood firm, not giving any ground, but not offering to take any. It appeared to be a stalemate of sorts; even though Kurotaka was fighting the guard, she was signalling her preference not to fight. Satisfied that she wasn't going to die from blood loss, Kakashi let his attentions wander over to catch the tail end of Masurao's conversation.

"…not my intention. Never my intention to start a fight. We haven't any ill feelings towards your nation, but our journey on the way here convinced us that such as not the case towards us. It is for this reason that my sister and I adopted this disguise and also hired this ex-ninja to defend us against bandits". Masurao's face was rapt with honest insistence, beseeching to the guard as he shifted his glance from Masurao to Kurotaka, still locked in a standstill.

"Your sister, is she? Then why would you place her in chains, even to make it into the town to enquire about trading?"

Masurao let his eyes rise upwards theatrically, hands gesturing extravagantly towards where Kuro was still glaring daggers at the somewhat uncertain guard still trying to out-muscle her. "She spent most of her life learning martial arts and has a fiery temper into the bargain… do you really blame me? With bonds on her wrists, there would be a slight chance of her controlling her temper".

The guard looked perplexed, stroking his scrubby beard as he contemplated the scene. "You should not have tried to enter our town, not during these times and certainly not in disguise. No other reception would have been waiting for you".

Masurao sighed, shaking his head dismally. "I know, it was foolish… but it seemed such a simple, perfect plan to start with and we've travelled so long and far". He gave the other man a piteous look, despite the fact that Kurotaka could have pulled off a much more effective job. Once the blood and sand and grime had been scraped off, that is, as well as that ugly glare she was continuing to inflict on the one hapless guard still opposing her.

At last the elder man sighed, waving one hand at his three subordinates. The man fighting Kurotaka instantly relaxed, stepping gratefully out of her line of sight and breathing heavily. Kuro's limbs sagged and her hands flew to her face, pulling free the blood-drenched bandages and wringing them out, eyes expressionless as she watched her own blood drip to the ground. Kakashi strode softly up behind her, resting one hand on her shoulder and offering her a waterlogged cloth. It wasn't very clean, but it was better than what she was currently holding. She took it with a tight smile of gratitude and plastered it against her cheek, eyes widening in shock at the pain. There was little else he could do, so Kakashi squeezed her shoulder tighter, offering what little support that small action could.

Masurao gestured for them to come over, face taut with anxiety. "Sister? Are you wounded?"

To give Kurotaka her due, she managed to cover most of that disgusted look which emerged at those words with the cloth before she blew their cover story. "Not gravely… brother… It hurts to speak".

The guard she had just been sparring now looked exceptionally troubled. Kakashi had a feeling that he might have loosened some of Kuro's teeth and wasn't sure whether or not he was going to pay for it later. As they shuffled up to join Masurao, two of the young guards who still didn't appear to have noticed Kakashi disappeared into the mechanisms of the gate, resulting in the slow opening of the huge doors. The old guard shook his head again. "Your story is a strange one, trader, but I shall let it go for now. However, if I hear of any troubles within these walls during your stay, then you shall be killed on sight. Is that simple enough terms for you?"

"Exceptionally simple". Masurao frowned. "My only concerns are that someone from my village may have already beaten me here. I don't suppose you've seen a man and a woman about my age and complexion? The man is a fairly flamboyant person with distinctive eyebrows and the woman is strawberry blonde and usually carries a camera everywhere".

His query was met with a raised eyebrow. "You knew them?"

"Knew them?" Kakashi pressed forward. "Why do you use the past tense?"

The old guard glared at him. "Because they were here a while ago, but one of them was arrested for disturbing the peace. I don't know what happened to the other one, but the arrested one is still being held as far as I know. He may even be dead already. We aren't very fond of foreigners as a rule".

Masurao grinned, "perfect! I should be so lucky to lose my main opponent so early on". Despite the cheeriness in his voice, Kakashi heard the strained edge to it, saw the twitch in that rigidly happy expression. A true Shinobi must hide their feelings at all times, even when they hear the news that one of their comrades is in prison, facing torture and possibly even death. Nodding to Kakashi and Kurotaka, Masurao reached back and grabbed Kurotaka's hand, drawing her close to him. "I don't suppose you can recommend a good physician? My sister has not travelled well… her and her short-tempered ways".

Masurao didn't seem to notice the fact that it was Kakashi who was becoming increasingly short-tempered at the sight of him clutching Kurotaka in such a familiar way.

"There's a medical specialist by the name of Kartan down the furthest street to your left. Big sign. You can't miss it". Taking that as a dismissal, Masurao bowed shortly and lead Kurotaka gently through the gates as Kakashi followed behind irritably.

………..

"I'm afraid this isn't going to heal very well at all miss… You shouldn't have left it unattended for so long".

Kurotaka's one exposed eye twitched, rolling to stare back at the doctor as he tutted at her, pulling tight the last stitch on her face. Due to the fact that anaesthetics and painkillers were relatively primitive here, once again Kurotaka's surgery was performed with some restraint. In fact, "some" wasn't the right word to use. Half of her face was buried in Kakashi's chest, both of his arms pinning her against him and also trapping her arms at her sides. Whilst not only looking very suggestive, it also effectively prevented her from attempting to squirm or attack the person currently taking a sewing kit to her face. Again. Kakashi raised his eyes to the ceiling. While this wasn't an altogether bad situation for him to be in, the fact that Kuro fought the pain by digging her chin into the groove of his collarbone was proving exceptionally painful for him. He was quite glad that Masurao had gone scouting off to find out more information on Gai's imprisonment rather than staying to witness this.

Peeling off his leather gloves and stepping back, the doctor shot Kakashi a pointed look. "You can let go now".

Kakashi hastily released his grip, letting Kurotaka regain her feet and stand, swaying slightly and probing her face. Her fingers were swiftly smacked with a leather glove. "Don't touch it! You're going to have a bad enough scar as it is, without you picking at it to make it worse". She sighed and her hands fell to her sides. "I'm lucky that it's just a scar, I suppose".

"Yes, indeed" agreed the doctor, exchanging his gloves for new ones. "Blood poisoning could have set in if you'd left that too much longer. And now…" He turned to Kakashi, brandishing a bottle of unidentified liquid and a roll of bandaging. "Mask off please".

"What the hell?"

"Don't make it harder for yourself, young man. I can tell you've been through the wars as well. At least let me patch you up a little, or do I have to ask the young lady to hold you still?"

As tempting as it was to have Kurotaka pin him to her in a similar fashion to the one he just employed, Kakashi decided to decline for dignity's sake. He sat down heavily on the wooden chair again and shook his head stubbornly. "The abrasions on my arms and legs I don't mind, but the face stays covered. There's no other way around it". The doctor's face said otherwise. "I can see the edges of some deeper wounds on your face, wounds that I would lose my reputation for allowing to leave my clinic untreated. Young lady, can you not dissuade him?"

Oh please. Anything but that. Kakashi shot a pleading look at Kurotaka. "I'd rather you didn't see me like this…"

She blinked at him. "So? You've seen me screaming and cursing and bleeding everywhere on not one, but two separate occasions. And you held me still on both of these, I might add".

"I know, but…" He glanced away desperately. "It's a little… embarrassing for me to have people see my face. I've fought for the right to that privacy several times". Oh the horrors of attending school in a mask; it made him a walking target not only for teasing, but also sneak attacks in trying to pry it off.

The doctor stared at him in surprise, raised his eyes to the ceiling and set down the bottle and bandages on the bench. "I certainly don't intend to engage in a struggle over this. How about I leave you to sort his face out, since he obviously isn't going to make it easy for me. I doubt he'll talk back to you". Kurotaka stared after the doctor in shock as he got up and shuffled out of the room, muttering under his breath.

"If you don't want to take the mask off, I won't force you". She sank down onto the doctor's vacated chair and affixed Kakashi with a look. It was a look that spoke great volumes of hurt while at the same time, affirmed that regardless of what she had said, the opposite was exactly true. Kakashi sighed, sinking deeper into a slouch.

"Why do you always wear that stupid mask any way? And a decent answer would be much appreciated". She was now watching him closely, dark blue eyes filled with curiosity and a chunk of newly-cleaned white tip obscuring her vision. The intensity of that stare caught in Kakashi's throat, the honest interest and something else, something more in depth.

He drew a shuddering breath. "When I… when I first started wearing this mask it was purely with the intention of mimicking my father. Later it was simply a trademark. A force of habit even. But since then, it has come to serve the purpose of disguising my face entirely from view. I can fit into any crowd with my mask off, since only a handful of people actually know what I truly look like".

"So it's to aid your skills in the ANBU?"

"Yes, but that's not the only use it has".

Kurotaka blinked. "What's the other use?"

How embarrassing. "I…ah… used to receive a lot of unwanted attentions because of my face. That's why I wear the mask and occasionally use the excuse that I'm hideously deformed. The truth is… well…" Damn it. He was so arrogant in every other area of his life, why did he have to feel modest now?

Despite his fumblings, Kuro seemed to have caught the message and was regarding him with a calculating stare. "So that's the truth is it? You wear the mask to protect yourself from desperate females?"

"Putting it that way… yes".

She snorted and then burst out laughing, rocking back and forth on her chair. "You're kidding aren't you?"

Embarrassment was now replaced with offence. "No, I'm not kidding!"

"I don't believe you. I bet it's a bluff". She was mocking him, voice high-pitched and teasing. He felt the annoyance building up in his chest. How dare she doubt him so? A little voice in the back of his head was telling him in amused tones that she was winding him up, but he was so taken up in the bruising of his ego that he ignored it.

"You don't believe me? Fine! I'll show you!" He raised his fingers to the rim of his mask and then froze as she leant forward eagerly. "You're just trying to get at my pride aren't you?"

"Well if it works, I'll use it". She grinned widely at him, the pain from her new stitches apparently forgotten. "Come on Kakashi-kun… let me see your face?" Her expression was now almost cherubic, eyes wide and pleading. In her mockery though, Kakashi could read an undertone of truth to her pleading. She really did want to see who he truly was.

There was still a chance that she wouldn't like it. A chance that the person behind the mask wasn't the person she truly liked. He hesitated, and then pushed that thought aside. Never mind that possibility. If he never offered her anything, then she'd never have anything to go by.

Just as his fingers began to ease the fabric down, a white-robed whirlwind with an ever-impractical sense of timing came bursting into the room. Kakashi and Kurotaka jumped as though electrocuted, blushing as though they'd been caught doing something incriminating. In a sense they had been, but in all honesty, it had been and now was nothing. Kakashi's fingers itched to wrap themselves around his dearest friend's throat, even as the other ninja stared at them both in disbelief.

"Why are you two still hanging around here? Kakashi, just pay the guy and get ready to leave. I've found Gai and Akiraka, but if we don't help them RIGHT NOW they're going to be executed at sunrise".

The anger was shaken from his mind by those words. Kakashi stared in utter disbelief. "On what grounds?"

"On the grounds that they're foreigners. Oh yeah, we're also being hunted down now. It would appear that the people at the gates weren't aware that the fighting on the frontlines intensified while we were having that pleasant discussion with them. Technically they should have shot us on sight, so they're now quite eager to remedy that little mistake".

A series of crashes and shouts were issuing from the next room. By the sounds of things, tables and chairs were going flying as a large number of bodies came crashing into the small clinic. The three Shinobi stared at the door in shock.

Kurotaka glared at Masurao, "you were followed?"

"I told you we had to move right now, didn't I!"

………

wild-filly: Apologies for cliff hanger… will update at earliest opportunity. Please review! Thanks!


	19. Chapter 18

Wild-filly: lol… I felt exceptionally cruel leaving off at that point; don't worry, I assure you that Kakashi's face will make its grand appearance in later chapters and my updates won't be slumped too much (sweatdrop). In response to Ero-SENIN's comment, yes, I'm aware that the Hyuuga clan is exceptionally important, but didn't mention it based on the fact that it didn't really connect to much of the plot as of the moment (grin) Was in no way purposefully ignoring its wonderful-ness or placing it lower in lower stance to the Uchiha clan… I think Neji's great, so I can assure you that this was not a case of mis-information or selectiveness – just topic. Thanks for the help though. Huge thanks to all other reviews, including Tora Macaw, JapanAnimeGirl, Sky Spade, Ero-SENIN, Katzuki, Grummur, fan, kimpster, shadowkazul, hiddenwindmill, Dboon, Andrea and Anime Lance. Am truly flattered by some of your comments – I'm really happy that you enjoy my fanfiction so much!

Disclaimer: Don't own. That simple enough? At least the force is with me (happy grin)

………

Okumen Gokurakuchou: Chapter 18

……..

Having sighted a convenient window, Kakashi, followed closely by Kurotaka and Masurao bailed out of the crowded doctor's treatment room and were soon hastily heading towards the nearest market, hoping to put a few innocent bystanders in between themselves and pursuit. Kakashi lead the way, winding in a disturbingly casual fashion through the crowds and purposefully heading into the most heavily populated areas; anything to make it harder to mark their presence by. Camouflage was hardly necessary with so many people around, but their skin and hair colouring was a little incriminating at close range. Well, Kakashi's silver locks were; the other two could blend in with less trouble. Damn that beautiful head of hair of his.

Kurotaka was now alongside him, both eyes constantly surveying the crowd and softly keeping in step with the taller ninja. "Did they see us leave?"

Kakashi shook his head, frame rigid with suspicion. "That seemed a little too easy. They wouldn't have forgotten to secure any possible exits".

Masurao gave a grunt of agreement behind them. "From what I could gather, they have a pretty damn strong police force here; criminals from all the nearby towns get sent here to come kind of prison on the outskirts. Not a very nice reputation to have for a town I suppose, but on the bright side, it has a remarkably low crime rate and people here can feel safe on the streets any time".

Rolling his eyes, Kakashi grimaced. "Just what we need. Never mind. I doubt they've had much experience trying to capture Shinobi".

"What about Gai and Akiraka?" Kurotaka muttered at his shoulder, staring pointedly at a nosy fruit seller until they averted their eyes in submission to the superior glaring skills. "I doubt they would have been taken without a fight".

Kakashi glanced back a Masurao. "What was the deal behind their capture?"

Masurao shook his head. "Couldn't get the details on that without exposing myself. It was hard enough to find out that they had been in this town at all, let alone where they were and how they got there. The people here are very racist; racist to the point they try to pretend that other cultures don't exist. I'm amazed it's such a trading nerve-centre with the native attitudes". He pulled a disgusted face. "They probably went without a fight, hoping they'd get off easy. It would've worked as well, had this whole stupid war thing not come out again".

Kurotaka sighed. "Will a peace treaty ever last for more than three seconds? I'm beginning to think that we'd be as well living on the battlefields".

"Such is the life of a Shinobi; tool of the nation, sword in the hand of his master, shield clutched to defend the ideals" Kakashi was cut off by a swift kick to the kneecaps from behind, with Kurotaka nodding in approval to Masurao. "No philosophy please. A nice, simple plan to save our sorry hides from this little mess would be much more appreciated".

"It would have been kinder to mention this beforehand" grumbled Kakashi, massaging the backs of his knees. Damn Masurao. Damn him for what felt like the thousandth time that day. He was still pissed off about the fact that neither he nor Kurotaka could get a moment's peace together without this spiky-haired, awkwardly grinning, downright lazy excuse for a ninja bursting in on them and making unhelpful comments.

"Actions speak louder than words, Kakashi-kun" chirped the aforecursed ninja easily, draping one arm across Kakashi's shoulders despite the fact it meant he had to crane upwards uncomfortably in the process, being somewhat shorter than his younger friend. "And at this rate, the actions of these people are screeching in my ears. D'you ever get the feeling that you're being watched?"

Kakashi let his eyes flit over the milling crowds around them. It was true. Every so often a pair of eyes would affix on his short-cropped silver mane and then stare at him with distrust before hurrying on. Kurotaka and Masurao weren't so noticeable, due to their dark hair and bare faces, but Kakashi and his partially-covered face and pale hair were like a walking beacon. It was no wonder the police wasn't so worried about tracking them; Kakashi was practically walking around with a sign on his back reading "Suspicious Foreigner: Please randomly attack".

"I need to find a way to disguise my hair". Kurotaka and Masurao gazed at him thoughtfully.

"But we need to sort it out surreptitiously" he hastily added, realising that Masurao wouldn't hesitate to hack every strand of hair from his head and was probably now measuring him up for the "trim". "Some kind of liquid or powder to make it look darker, that way I can blend into the crowd as well as you two can".

One of Kurotaka's eyes twitched irritably, "what precisely do you have in mind? I only use a bleaching agent to get the white into my hair and it's not as if I'm carrying any of it with me, even if it were of any use". Kakashi growled to himself. "Something, anything… I'll rub sand through my hair if you reckon it'll hide the colouring a little".

"Actually…" Masurao cut in, staring up at a nearby wall that was still in the premature stages of completion. "I don't think we need to hide the hair as much as we need to give it an excuse".

"Meaning what?" Kakashi realised too late where Masurao's eyes were currently resting. By the time he had noticed, his fellow Shinobi and friend of many years had stuck out a leg and tripped him, sending him flying right into the path of a large, open tin of fresh whitewash paint.

……….

"So how precisely are we going to break into this place?"

"You know what… if it weren't for the fact that I'm partially dipped in whitewash, I'd have the strangest feeling of déjà vu".

"That doesn't help and would you mind moving? You've dripped whitewash onto my kimono. Again".

Shuffling over to one side a little more, Kakashi lifted one hand and attempted to smear some of the whitewash trickling a trail over his eye out of the way, trying and failing to shift the foul stuff. It was proving deceptively sticky and resistant to most of his attempts to remove it from his eyes, ears, nose and mouth. On the bright side, it hadn't left their followers a trail to follow, since after Kakashi met with an unfortunate whitewash incident, several other people also found themselves in the same situation. With sufficient confusion and hair-lightening potion spread, the Shinobi had headed for the outskirts of town, infiltrating the first few barriers on the way to the secure centre where the other two were doubtless being held.

"Any bright ideas?" Masurao yawned widely, "the simplest way to get in would be to get arrested. There. That's my intellectual input". Closing his eyes and nesting his head into the circle of his folded arms, laid flat on the ground on his stomach with the other two, Masurao appeared to fall asleep. Kurotaka shook her head in disgust.

"I'm afraid I'll have to agree with you". Kurotaka looked up, startled at Kakashi. "Those walls are completely solid, they've got guards lining every inner wall and we don't know where Akiraka or Gai are even being held".

Kurotaka shook her head determinedly. "No. There has to be another way. One of us could create a diversion while the other two break in and find them".

Kakashi frowned at her. "It would have to be one hell of a diversion to get all of the major guards out of the way, not to mention particularly risky for the one caught in the process".

She shrugged, tapping her right eyelid conspiratorially. "I've got this unwilling inheritance here to help, remember. If we can get a bit closer, I'll try to detect Akiraka's Chakra force. I used to train with her a lot, so I can recognise her signal whenever she uses a jutsu. If a big enough diversion causes her to activate a jutsu, even a minor one, I can tell instantly where she is".

Masurao revived long enough to open one eye. "What kind of a 'big diversion' were you thinking of? A minor earthquake or something?"

She grinned stiffly at both of them. "Weren't you complaining about Kakashi ripping off a jutsu of yours at some point? Maybe that'll come in handy…"

With a reluctant sigh, Masurao yawned, stretched and glanced at Kakashi. "No time like the present I reckon. If they've got until the standard dramatic sunrise head cleaving, we shouldn't waste any more time than is necessary".

Kakashi nodded. The sun was high, the sky streaked with orange highlights that signified that night was going to fall in a matter of hours, if that. Approaching darkness could provide them with some cover, but also give the guards an advantage, since they knew the grounds far better that the would-be-intruders did.

……..

Night was falling swiftly now, the fortress-like walls throwing dense shadows across the deserted area, silent apart from the clinking of weapons on belt-catches as the police diligently patrolled the outer walls. Pinned against the pocked concrete wall like a pale spectre, Kakashi stalked closer to one of the narrow, heavily barred entrances with a catlike grace, stepping lightly over the sand. He was in his element; a field he had spent most of his life training for. His heart pounded with excitement in his chest, the thrill of the hunt clamouring in his blood. Even the muffled, less-than- subtle motions of Masurao couldn't dampen his spirits with the chance of being caught. That could only add to the excitement of the chase.

"Here". He hissed softly back to Masurao, not bothering to look back at the ninja following doggedly behind him. He heard the faint grunt of ascension from Masurao and reached back, feeling the wad of waxy paper of explosive stickers being passed forward to him. As his fingers tightened around the paper, he loped onwards and away from the other Shinobi, easily covering the distance between himself and the entrance.

Sprinting past the barred entrance, he barely paused to stick a handful of seals onto the middle of the door before barrelling on to the next opening. As he ran, pasting stickers on every door he passed, he heard a great explosion from one of the earlier entrances. Masurao had obviously started activating the spells on them. Part one of operation: obnoxious damage bill was now underway. Footsteps thundered above and shouts echoed from everywhere. Now was time to enter. Another great burst of flame erupted, blasting massive lumps of stone into the air and raising the cries of alarm to those of panic.

Scaling the wall nimbly, Kakashi casually concussed a lingering guard and then continued along the empty path until he met Masurao, climbing up with considerably more difficulty than he himself had had. Flashing his friend a quick eye-smile, Masurao nodded, pointing back the way he had come, indicating that Kurotaka had started to move. Kakashi clasped his hands into a seal and leapt over the wall and to the ground, seemingly oblivious to the substantial drop, ninja-running to the next of the series of walls. Plastering another explosive tag to the smooth concrete surface, he initiated it immediately, scarcely giving himself time to get out of range from flying rubble and flames. In the smoke and chalky dust, he sensed Masurao joining him and taking off in the opposite direction to plant stickers of his own. Loping off to do likewise, Kakashi dispatched of a couple of milling, confused guards with a remarkable lack of concern via a quick strike to the head with the flat of his katana's blade.

Another pair of explosions rattled through the fort and most of the inner wall collapsed, taking out a fair chunk of the next as well, sending shockwaves through the whole building. Kakashi gritted his teeth. How much damage did they need to do in order to get Akiraka free to spark up her Chakra signal? Obviously it would take more than handful of explosive tags at this rate. Clambering over a pile of rubble and into the next blocked area, Kakashi finally caught sight of Kurotaka, eyes blazing scarlet and expression anxious.

"Kakashi, I can't keep this up forever!" Her voice was shriller, bridging on fear. "My Chakra's falling too quickly and at this rate I won't be able to defend myself, let alone find anyone".

Kakashi stared at her, eyes wracked with fury and a terrible concern. "Why didn't you mention that you were so drained? We would never have set off on this scheme if you had mentioned this sooner!" The anger in his words could barely mask the terror he felt. What if she were attacked in this state? If it wasn't bad enough that she was injured…

"Now's not the time you two!" Masurao's voice was bolting towards them, a relatively unrelaxed expression writ over the other ninja's face as he rounded the corner and sprinted over to them. "We have a little more company here and it's not so easy to stick tags on!" A rabid, enraged snarling was becoming louder with every second. Kakashi blinked in amazement. Guard dogs? Even with the allergy, Masurao wasn't one to run away from a dog.

Almost as if he could read his friend's mind, Masurao skidded to a halt alongside the other two, face taut with fear. "Those aren't dogs back there… think bigger, hairier and with a lot more teeth".

"Gai?"

"Not as such".

As the source of the growling rounded the corner and eyeballed the clustered Shinobi, Kakashi thought for one horrible moment that he really would have preferred it to have been Gai.

A dank brown mass of shaggy fur roared at them, tiny red eyes maddened with pain and deep weals all down its body telling the story of abuse that had sparked such a hatred of humans. Long claws had not been hacked back, but the bald patches of fur clearly displayed where heavy manacles had been securing this animal in its own private hell. Kakashi stared in revulsion at the snarling, frothing bear; not in revulsion at the wretched creature itself, but at the creatures that had created it. As the great animal reared onto its hind legs, uncertain but still deadly, Kakashi moved to one side to shield Kurotaka from view and also catch what she was saying.

"They have poor eyesight, but are phenomenally strong. No chance with taijutsu against this one; I think we'll have to use something more permanent and in this case, it'll be merciful". He could hear the pain in her voice at the sight she was witnessing. Masurao was still catching his breath from his somewhat hasty distance-putting between the animal and himself. It looked like he'd have to do the work himself.

Drawing the katana, he watched the bear carefully. The animal still wasn't moving; periodically snarling and rearing in a display of aggression, but not actually moving towards them. Maybe it couldn't focus on a target or maybe the poor damned creature didn't want to attack. Either way, they had more urgent matters at this moment to attend to. He needed to make this quick.

"Kurotaka". She nodded at his voice. "You and Masurao go on ahead while I take care of this. If you run into any trouble that you can't get out of, I want you to surrender without a fight. It's far easier for me to rescue a living person than a dead one. No, don't answer me back-" He cut off the retort he knew was about to come. "You're weakened and in unfamiliar territory. And I don't want to lose you". He closed his eyes at those words. There. He'd said it. He heard Kurotaka catch her breath, but mercifully Masurao remained silent.

"Go, now. I'll give you your diversion".

As he levelled the glimmering blade at the snarling, drooling creature before him, he heard the faint scuffle of ninja-sandals jogging away and over the last of the walls. With any luck the guards would all be too taken up with the damage caused to pose much of a complicated entry for them. He locked eyes with the large animal.

Forgive me.

With all the accuracy he could muster, he threw the katana over the head of the creature, shearing off a couple of matted locks of hair in the process. With a furious roar, the bear turned around, charging blindly towards where the katana had fallen as Kakashi clasped his hands together, Chakra flooding to his touch. Turning from the discarded blade, the bear leapt towards the immobile ninja, locked in the activation of Masurao's earth jutsu. Barrelling towards Kakashi, one great paw rose upwards and curved downwards in a slash, great claws fully extended. He didn't dare move; he wouldn't get another chance at this one.

Stance never wavering, Kakashi stood his ground as the heavy paw came crashing down, claws scoring their way through the fabric of his Chuunin vest, shredding through the thick material to slash deep into his exposed chest. Blood burst forth to the surface, streaming unchecked in a snaking red ribbon from the livid gashes as the hairy paw continued its downwards stroke. As it moved in its arc, Kakashi seized it, grasping it tightly as he released the seal, plunging both himself and the bear deep into the sandy earth, droplets of blood splattering to the sand as he dived. Several minutes passed and a great tremor rocked through the ground, walls shaking and buildings groaning strangely as supports buckled. A great fissure split its way through the sand, snaking and cracking its way directly through the prison, fortress heaving as the ground wavered under it. Sand erupted from everywhere, disturbed from its resting places in the cracks and joinings of the buildings, creating a thick dust cloud.

Hunched over in the crevasse created by the burst of Chakra he'd released, Kakashi groped forwards, seizing the partially buried hilt of his katana, having fallen through the fissure to join him. His breath heaved, blood soaking through his black shirt as he sheathed the katana. With one last gaze of regret, Kakashi leapt out of the Chakra-formed crater and away from the suffocated body of the tortured bear, crumpled and finally out of its prison. Staggering on the landing, Kakashi glanced down at the bear's last action having surveyed the extent of the damage he had caused to the fortress. Staring down at the great, bleeding tears down on his chest, Kakashi suddenly felt incredibly detached from the whole situation. The blood still pulsated from the gashes, oozing out in an incessant warm flow. They couldn't be that deep, but they were still doing a good job of emptying the blood from him.

He fumbled for his pack, forgetting that he had abandoned it on the way. His head felt warm and fuzzy, the night seeming to fold in around him and hold him protectively; a gentle blanket of numbness. His eyes were so heavy, so tired... He still had to find the others. Maybe they had been trapped by his earthquake under one of the destroyed walls. How could he have done such a thing? What had it all been worth. What was is all worth. They weren't even questions any more. He was sinking deeper into his mind and further from consciousness. Forcing his feet forwards, he swayed and fell, tripped by a mound of sand. The gritty particles chafed his slashes, mixing blood with sand and only making him feel worse. A wave of nausea rushed to meet him, but his chest ached too much to permit the heaving. He couldn't hold it back any more; darkness rushed to claim him.

………..

It was warm, so pleasant. There was pain, but it was far away; it couldn't get him here. "Here" wasn't really a place; it was dark and safe and that was all he needed to know. Why had he been so determined not to retreat here? It was all so much better in this place. He could hear noise far away, but it didn't concern him. There was this rocking, jarring motion that beckoned in the distance, so far from where he was now. Something inside him seemed anxious; anxious about something that didn't seem so important any more.

"Not now… please, not now".

There was that noise again, coming closer now. It was painful; pulling him closer to the confusion and coldness that was once far from him. He didn't like it, tried to push it away, but the noise just wouldn't go. Something was pulling him towards the coldness, towards the pain and jarring, towards the noise. Then something ripped into him, shredding him away from the comfort and dragging him, heaving him back into the agony he had deserted.

A ragged breath burst from Kakashi's lips, chest heaving and wracking, a choking cough closing his throat. Air denied, he thrashed, eyes still pinned tightly shut. Pain was everywhere, burning, scratching, bruising. He longed to back to where he was before, away from it all.

"Hold him steady!" A voice tore through his hearing, painfully high. It felt like his eardrums would burst. Some great weight was now pinning his arms, another his legs; he couldn't move. Claustrophobia gripped him and he coughed and spluttered, a mouthful of hot liquid burning his mouth. Vomit, blood; he didn't know or care. Someone ripped the mask off his face and a hand wedged his mouth open, ignoring his weakened protests. He still didn't open his eyes; he didn't want to see this.

"He's bleeding internally, we need to seal this up quickly or we'll lose him". There was that voice again. There was something familiar, about it, something strange. He could feel his mind wandering again, but something cold was plastered suddenly against his chest, forcing a pain-filled gasp from his lungs. His eyes flew open despite themselves and he stared in bewilderment at the people sitting all around him.

He was half-lying, half-sitting up on the desert sand, held up by someone sitting behind him and partially pinned by Masurao, who was sitting on his legs and clutching a handful of blood-soaked makeshift bandages. "He's opened his eyes!" By the light of the flickering fire beside them and the faint dawn rays, he could just read the expression of pure relief on the other ninja's face.

"I can see that". The voice was annoyed, but Kakashi could catch the strains of relief in it. The owner of the voice leant in close to his face, staring critically into his eyes. "You aren't going to like this one bit, Kakashi-kun, but I promise it's the only way you're going to make it back to Konoha in one piece".

He felt a hand press itself against his chest and at once he was almost overwhelmed by pain, exploding from every pore, almost tearing him from consciousness. Then suddenly it was gone, the hand removed. He blinked, eyes wandering weakly to stare at his chest, his vest removed and long-sleeved shirt in tatters beside him. The bleeding had stopped, leaving five deep scabbed-over gashes. He could feel a little of his strength returning, enough to clasp his hands to his face, pulled free from whoever was holding them. He still couldn't muster enough strength to sit up by himself.

"Akiraka… who broke your arms?"

The large green eyes softened, the pale skin of her face blackened with bruising and smile strained. "It's good to hear your voice again, Kakashi-kun. I thought we'd lost you for a moment then". He noted dimly that she hadn't answered him.

He coughed again, but mercifully no blood oozed up to stain his lips. Staring at her in confusion, Kakashi breathed a different question. "Where is Kurotaka? I heard her voice…" Akiraka smiled tightly "she's fine Kakashi-kun, just resting. You owe her a lot now, you realise".

Kakashi blinked, words struggling to form on his lips. "Where is she?"

Akiraka shuffled on her knees off to one side, revealing the sleeping form of Kurotaka, covered with a grubby blanket. "You'd lost a lot of blood from that injury. Kurotaka had to supply most of what I transfused into you".

Masurao nodded, face pale. "That's one jutsu I don't ever want to have used against me. I didn't even think you were into that kind of thing, Kira-chan". Akiraka pulled a face at Masurao, "there's a lot you don't know about me, Masurao-kun. Do you really think I'm stupid enough to let everyone know about my skills? I'm not much of a medic-nin, but hey, I'm still learning".

"You mean you've never used that jutsu before?" Kakashi probed his chest numbly, only to have his fingers smacked away by Akiraka's hand. "I was a test case?"

"Trust me Kakashi, not much could go wrong that hadn't already as far as you were concerned. You should be thanking Gai as well, since he's the one that spotted you underneath all that sand AND carried you here".

"Gai?" Kakashi could feel a horrible sensation that he had been missing some critical detail for some time now.

"Yes, of course Gai! Who else did you think you were leaning on?"

To those who knew Kakashi best, let alone to those who had seen the extent of his injury, the turn of speed he demonstrated in his haste to move away from his previous position was astonishing.

"Are you trying to kill me!"

……….

Wild-filly: See? Extra effort made to update faster… reviews pay off! (grin) That's a hint by the way… Thanks for reading!


	20. Chapter 19

Wild-filly: Another chapter uploaded in what feels like a matter of minutes to me…It's great to be finally moving along with this fanfic – some plot is actually going to appear! Prepares yourselves for this cataclysmic event! Much thanking-ness to all reviewers, xl-twisted-lx, Sky Spade, shadow-kazul, Bluelady198, Tora Macaw, Anime Lance, JapanAnimeGirl, Katzuki, Andrea, kimpster, hiddenwindmill and Grummur! It was wonderful to receive so many comments so quickly!

Disclaimer: Still don't own… I have an extensive variety of Kakashi-related merchandise, both the Naruto Playstation games (entirely in Japanese), a stack of manga and episodes, but no; I still haven't forked out enough for the rights to the series (muttering under breath)

………..

Okumen Gokurakuchou: Chapter 19

…………

Despite his hasty burst of energy in order to distance himself from Gai, Kakashi could feel the suffocating, numbing fatigue that accompanied only the gravest of injuries he had ever experienced. Akiraka's jutsu had sealed up his wounds enough to prevent them from bleeding too much both internally and externally, but the extensive tissue damage and torn muscles were also demanding a lot of his body's energy to replenish. To be honest, he was amazed he was even conscious at this point. Sitting up, swaying slightly on the sand, he watched the other members of his team, hunched over the pile of scrolls that still needed to be translated. He'd forgotten all about those wretched things in the light of the last few events.

"How did you manage to keep a hold of them in prison?" Masurao was leaning ponderously over Akiraka's scroll, pencilling a rough translation onto a sodden piece of parchment he had unearthed as Gai tried and failed to read the other one.

Flashing one of his trademark star-twinkling grins, Gai gave Masurao a thumbs-up sign. "When I am given something to protect, I will protect it with my life! They could not take my scroll far from me!"

Akiraka coughed, her own health was probably worse than Kakashi's. "Actually, they took all of our belongings off of us the instant we arrived in prison. We knew where they were being kept though, so we were able to grab our stuff before bailing".

Masurao raised one eyebrow at Gai and disdained to comment as the flamboyant ninja's grin slipped ever-so-slightly. "See? Even when in the direst of circumstances I can still keep track of my duties!" The voice seemed a little desperate now, so Kakashi decided to make things worse for the floundering Shinobi.

"So how long were you kept in there? I don't expect to hear that you went in without a struggle". He waited expectantly, but Gai's eyes suddenly slid off to one side, watching Akiraka intently with a peculiar expression. Akiraka didn't return the stare, her gaze fixed somewhere in the distance, lips pursed tightly together. Kakashi blinked and finally took in the extent of her condition for the first time in almost a month.

She was little more than a skeleton.

Both arms were indeed broken, as he had pointed out earlier that morning upon waking up. Grubby makeshift bandages bound them tightly and formed slings, restricting her range of movement. Her hands too, were wrapped in filthy cloth, dark brown stains at the fingertips. There was little of her face that wasn't bruised, making her eyes seem larger than usual; a strained, almost hunted look in them. Her bones seemed to jut from beneath her pallid skin, unnaturally so, as though her body was breaking down despite itself. He felt his throat clench. There was only one way she could have succumbed so swiftly to such a pathetic condition. They had tortured her.

Gai cleared his throat, intent on getting away from this topic. "We were only in there for a couple of days, but it felt like an eternity. There's nothing worthwhile to remember". He turned his face away, refusing to give any more information or look Akiraka in the face. Gai, Kakashi noted, seemed to be entirely healthy in comparison to Akiraka. He began to form his own conclusions about what had happened in the confines of that prison. It wasn't an uncommon occurrence for one prisoner to be singled out for torture while the other was berated with questions, using guilt to force out answers.

Masurao coughed, trying to break the awkward, turbulent silence that had developed. "Hey, Gai would you pass me your scroll? I've finished with this one".

With a shadow of his old, cringe-worthy grin, Gai thankfully relinquished his scroll and picked up Masurao's finished translation, sitting it next to the other three translated papers. "Is Kurotaka-san still asleep?" He turned to stare at the motionless Kunoichi, eyes watery with concern. "She was so brave to waste her beautiful, young blood on such an ungrateful wretch like you Kakashi!"

Kakashi snorted, rolling his eyes in distaste. "Why don't you tell her that when she wakes up? I'm sure she'll be delighted to hear that you think her sacrifice was a meaningless one". He narrowed his eyes arrogantly at the flaming-eyed Gai, a sly idea coming to him – Gai had yet to encounter the wrath of Kurotaka vexed. This could potentially work to his advantage…

A faint mumbling came from the slumbering pile that was Kurotaka, stirring slightly under the pile of scavenged blankets and clothing. Gai hastily moved over to her side, clasping one of her hands in his. "Kurotaka-san! You're going to be alright! I'll never move from your side!" The stirring froze and Kakashi nearly choked trying not to laugh as he pictured the facial expression underneath the blankets at Gai's heartfelt proclamation.

Masurao shuddered in the middle of his translation, letting one eye roll to one side so he could be a witness the bloodshed that could well arise. Akiraka seemed not to notice, arms tightly folded and stare somewhere beyond them all. Only she and Gai seemed not to anticipate the potential explosion. There was a rustling, scuffling and Kurotaka's tousled head appeared from the depths of the cocoon of clothing. She blinked several times, stared pointedly at Gai and stared pointedly at her hand. Then she glared.

"Let go". It wasn't a question, a request or even a stern order. It was a command given with all of the arrogance and wounded dignity of an offended monarch.

Most unfortunately for Kuro's ego though, Gai was not only modesty-challenged, but also tone-deaf unless it came to Kakashi springing insults on him. The bowl-cut-haired ninja released her hand reluctantly, tears flooding his eyes as he knelt beside her. "Oh Kurotaka-san! So very noble in her sacrifice, do you still ache from the effort you spent on that worthless mongrel's life?"

She blinked for a very different reason this time, utter confusion writ clearly over her face. "I thought the blood was for Kakashi?"

Kakashi felt an immense surge of pleasure at that statement, heightened only by the fact that Gai shook his head in sorrowful disgust. "That is to whom I was referring, Kurotaka-san. Are you alright?" He no longer seemed so star-struck by her blood donation, an expression of something almost like disappointment on his face.

She nodded absent-mindedly, still confused. "Where is he?"

Gai pointed wordlessly behind himself and Kakashi felt his chest clench as she stared at him, her eyes seeming to flood with emotion as they searched for and found his own pupils. She leapt up from the blankets, staggering as they remained wrapped around her legs and almost falling back down to the sand. Kicking herself free, she shuffled swiftly over to him. Then she halted, standing over him and Kakashi suddenly felt his stomach sink. That wasn't joy in her eyes; that was a glare. An especially malevolent glare at that. He pondered vaguely that she was probably going to berate him for being so completely irresponsible and forcing her to undergo one of the most unpleasant jutsu Kakashi had ever heard of. Or maybe she'd finally found out that he'd borrowed her shampoo back at the waterfall village.

The navy blue eyes pierced him, anger and contempt livid in her face. Gai no longer looked so upset now that Kakashi was cringing before the incurred wrath of what was now revealed to be an exceptionally temperamental woman. Kakashi sighed, breaking his eyes away from the line of fire. It most probably wasn't about the shampoo.

"Kuro… I'm sorry. I truly am. I didn't mean-" She suddenly enfolded around him, cutting off his words out of complete shock. His eyes widened, shifting to stare at her as he was clasped tightly into a firm embrace. Her arms were locked around his neck, face buried into his collarbone and tears freely spilling from her eyes, trickling down his chest. She was so small, so warm and strangely comforting in her own way. He didn't know what to do, arms rigid above her shoulders as she nestled in closer. Giving up on thinking, he hugged her back, pulling her even nearer to him and closing his eyes. It was an amazing feeling, this serenity. A sigh burst forth from her, quiet sobs subsiding enough for her to speak.

"Don't you ever even THINK about making me worry like that again. Never again. Never". The adamence in her voice overrode the shakiness spawned by her tears of relief, arms tightening their grasp possessively. It occurred to Kakashi that she now considered him more or less her property. Her hair tickled his bare chest, still in need of a replacement shirt and the uncomfortable sensation of it suddenly made him very aware of the fact that Masurao, Akiraka and Gai had all broken out of their collective stupors to stare at them, expressions ranging from amusement to confusion to outright distaste. He flushed slightly, but still didn't release his hold of her, letting one hand move upwards to cradle her head protectively, fingers burrowing deeply into her long hair now gritty with sand.

"I think I've finished with the scrolls now". Masurao spoke as quietly and tactfully as possible, face twitching as he tried not to laugh. Kurotaka slackened her grip and pulled away from Kakashi only to sit next to him, fingers combing through the white tips of her scruffy hair self-consciously. There was a slight pink tinge to her cheeks. Gai was looking the other way, face unreadable from that angle, but Kakashi was certain that he wasn't exactly delighted to find out that he had come second in Kurotaka's list of people to thank.

"Right – it's all fairly straightforward". He gently laid each of the papers on the sand, carefully arranging them into a star-shaped pattern, the curving texts all alined neatly together. Gai leant curiously over Masurao's shoulder, not appearing to notice the other ninja's intense discomfort at this action. "Would you mind getting the water skin for me, Gai?"

"At once!" The old enthusiasm was back and thankfully for Masurao, so was his air space.

"Ok, would you mind passing me one of your kunai, Kuro? And I'll need a piece of Kakashi's hair while I'm at it, so you might as well saw off a chunk once you get that knife out". He grinned apologetically at Kakashi. "So sorry about that Kakashi-kun, but since your hair's so scruffy as it is, no one should notice".

"I don't think I can accept the first apology without asking for a second". Kakashi glared but tilted his head down obligingly for Kuro to gingerly slice off a small lock. She tossed them over to Masurao, staring curiously. "Why do you need those things?"

Masurao grinned, accepting the water skin from Gai and digging a little hole right in the middle of the star with his spare hand, pushing the papers aside to burrow into the sand. He squeezed the container, spraying a stream of water into the hole and seizing the handful of silver hair, scattering it haphazardly over the pieces of parchment. He then took up the kunai and carefully made an incision in his palm, drawing the blade slowly across his hand and then clenching it into a fist, letting the blood well up and drip onto each page. Angling the kunai to catch the rays of the sun, he then reflected the sunlight onto the little pool of vanishing water, stray silver hairs floating on the rapidly more shallow puddle. Kakashi leant in to stare critically at the process. It had to be one of the most complex releasing procedures he had ever seen.

Now if only something would happen.

Masurao's triumphant grin was becoming more and more fixed. Gai was frozen in a stance of celebration, peace sign and huge smile becoming more and more out of place as the minutes trailed by. Kurotaka, Kakashi and Akiraka just sat and stared, Kakashi not knowing which was more pathetic; Masurao's attempt at initiating the scrolls or Gai's halted victory dance. It was a tough competition.

A couple more seconds passed and Masurao began to swear, one hand tugging at his hair in fury.

"What the hell is wrong with this thing? It plainly stated 'three bright substances, always seen but invisible alone'. Light, water… Kakashi, did your #) hair screw up my perfect scroll release!"

Before Masurao could turn around and proceed to attempt to murder Kakashi, a huge gust of wind erupted from the heart of the star. A twisting, writhing whirlwind that blasted sand into their eyes, forcing them all to cover their faces and in Gai's case, stop grinning like a maniac. At last the dust storm died down and Kakashi lowered his arm from where it had been hastily thrown up to protect himself. Akiraka hadn't had the same luck and was now facing the opposite direction in order to prevent suffocation by the sudden sandstorm. He stared in surprise at the sight that awaited him.

That red-haired nazi that had given him his first concussion for the exam was standing in front of them.

She seemed as delighted to see them as they her, judging by the ugly scowl on her face and haughty stance. "What the hell took you assholes so long to figure out the code?"

Nobody answered. They all knew better than to offer fuel to her fire.

She snorted in disgust. "Pathetic. Utterly pathetic the lot of you. You're lucky that the whole exam's been called off, otherwise you'd be failed in front of the entire class".

Gai face-faulted, the flames in his eyes extinguished in one swift blow. "The whole exam has been… called off?"

She rolled her eyes contemptuously, "How often would you like me to say it? It's over; since the nations all declared war again all the other countries' Chuunin have been pulled out of the examination. That means you five idiots as well". There was an indecent amount of satisfaction in the statement. Kakashi now felt as though he had no insides left. All this pain, all this suffering… all for nothing.

"You should count yourselves lucky that the Third Hokage-sama is so generous as to grant you all an honorary pass in the light of the situation". She grinned toothily at them, reminding Kakashi far too much of a vampire despite her words.

"So it's all over?" Masurao's voice was brimming with disbelief and shocked pride. "We're all Jounin now?"

The bloody-haired Special Jounin shook her head impatiently. "You'd have been better off remaining as Chuunin since we're at war now. As soon as you get back to Konoha, you're getting sent off to the front lines". The sharklike smirk returned. "It's far from over, little ninja". She ran a casual eye over their hunched forms, taking in the extent of the collective injuries with an experienced eye. "Although you may have to spend a little time in hospital first. If you survive the trip back home, that is".

With that heartening note, she gathered up the blood-splattered papers and clasped her hands into a seal, conjuring up another breeze and vanishing from view as the sand whipped up to hide her.

………..

"I'm sick of walking".

"Would you rather be running?"

"In all honesty, yes, but I wouldn't like to have my chest split open again".

"In that case, shut up and stop complaining".

"Gai could always carry you if you want to run the way back".

"I'll shut up". Kakashi shuddered. He was eternally gratefully that he didn't have any memory of that particular event. Gai looked suitably cheerful at having succeeded in wounding rival-Kakashi's pride, cheerful to the point that Kakashi longed to find a convenient blunt object to throw at him. However, since Masurao wouldn't appreciate being thrown at people, he would have to pass on the opportunity and store it for revenge at a later date.

Kurotaka was walking silently alongside him, but he still felt her presence as clearly as if she were engaged in an animated conversation. She was worried about Akiraka, who even now hadn't said anything and was continuing to stumble on ahead of them all. Gai and Masurao had offered to carry her on several occasions, but a streak of arrogance that rivalled even Kakashi's had made her decline every time. At this rate it would take them all week to get back to Konoha, and neither Kakashi nor Akiraka would be in a very good shape by the time they arrived.

"Wish we could get a lift somehow".

Kurotaka froze in her tracks, eyes wide with realisation. "I can't believe I didn't think of it sooner!"

"Think of what sooner?" Masurao halted and turned to look at her, "You didn't leave something behind did you? There's no chance of us going back for it…"

She waved her hand impatiently. "No, not that - I just remembered that Kakashi taught me a new jutsu a while ago".

Masurao coughed, giving Kakashi a highly suspicious look that suggested that he didn't like the sound of this extra "training" and what it may have involved. Kakashi glared back, but was too relieved to feel properly annoyed. "I taught her how to summon birds; maybe she can get us all a ride back to Konoha". The obviousness of this answer smacked him in the face like a vengeful punching bag on the reverse swing. How much pain and trouble could they have solved if they'd only remembered this sooner?

Gai stared at Kurotaka in surprise and then blinked guiltily. "What kind of birds do you summon?"

She gave him an appraising look. "I believe you attacked the last bird I summoned", she responded coolly. "He was an ultimate-summon, or so I think; a massive white falcon by the name of Furi-Damu. I won't try to call him though, in case he remembers the insult and decides to extract revenge". Gai shuffled his feet uncomfortably "I apologise Kurotaka-san, but in the flames of my youthful exuberance I leapt in too hastily and left a terrible memory for your friend! Can you ever forgive me?"

Kakashi was tempted to suggest to Kurotaka that she let Furi-Damu chew his way through that apology, but refrained on the grounds that it seemed too petty. For now at least.

"Speaking of birds, where has that seagull of yours gotten to? Not that I'm complaining about his absence of course". Masurao yawned, shuffling his lightened backpack from shoulder to shoulder. "I can't wait to get back home, even if it's only for a couple of minutes before being sent off on some suicidal exploit".

Kurotaka shook her head, unconcerned. "Guntou isn't a pet, so he comes and goes as he pleases. I don't think he likes the desert much any way. Either way, I have a couple of his feathers on a necklace I carry about, so the summon isn't going to be awkward". Kakashi breathed a mental sigh of relief. He had just been wondering about that.

As Kuro knelt down to fish through the depths of her bag, Gai shot Kakashi a challenging stare. "And since when were you qualified to teach such potentially dangerous jutsu? You overstep your boundaries, Kakashi. I'd be right to inform the Hokage of your foolhardiness!"

Kakashi rolled his eyes. "I'm a Jounin now, remember? I can train just about anyone anything. Except perhaps you when it comes to properly washing hair". Ah, how he had missed these jibes. The look of smouldering rage on Gai's face as he stood, one fist clenched and eyes taut with fury brought back such wonderful memories of Kakashi proving his superiority in every way possible… on shaky grounds admittedly, but still proven after a fashion.

"Got it!" Kurotaka rose, clutching a dangling beaded necklace with a string of pale feathers pierced through the wire. She gently placed them on the ground, biting her thumb as she did so and placing her slightly bleeding hand on top of the necklace, smearing the feathers with blood in the process. Curious despite himself, Gai craned over her shoulder for a closer look but was forced to retreat hastily when a great surge of Chakra forced its way to the surface, sparking from her skin and flooding down to pool at her hand, blue flames flickering in their mesmerizing dance.

Kakashi watched with approval. Her control was better than the last time – even with lowered Chakra supplies, she was still able to push sufficient energy into the summon thanks to her progress. It was nice to have such a talented pupil, even if she had only been his pupil for the grand total of one day and courtesy of some poorly thought-out blackmail on his behalf.

Seconds flashed past as a dome of white light slowly bubbled up from the ground, absorbing the writhing, twisting Chakra and swelling as it did so, encompassing more and more of the sandy track. Kurotaka stood still, allowing the white dome to enfold her as it blossomed to take up even more of the available space. The whiteness pained Kakashi's eyes, breaking his gaze away as Kuro vanished from view. This was different from before, but he was certain that nothing bad had come of it.

The light faded and dust settled, leaving only a somewhat ruffled Kurotaka and two large, albino hawks standing beside her, each of the birds as tall as a carthorse. Gai jumped backwards out of reflex; probably remembering his last encounter with a large white bird. Masurao watched on with amusement while Akiraka continued to stare into space, barely aware of the fact that anything had happened.

With the expression of one who has just been shaken from a deep sleep, Kurotaka blinked muzzily and draped one arm over the neck of the nearest bird, murmuring softly. The hawk's brilliant red eyes hardened and its head lowered as though to catch her words. Masurao made as though to approach them, but Kakashi held out a hand to still him; he had incurred the wrath of these creatures before and once was more than enough for his liking. He stood and watched apprehensively, not daring to move until Kurotaka gave some sign that it was safe.

The hawks then rose their heads, brilliant crimson-pink eyes scanning the waiting Shinobi. Kurotaka's murmuring had become louder, face insistent, pleading. She seemed to be winning the argument though, as the bird whose back was sporting her arm flared his wings, legs crouching slightly with a look of vague defeat on his face. With a grin, she leapt nimbly onto the feathery back, slipping as she sought to find purchase on the silky feathers before letting her Chakra do the gripping for her. She waved to the others, beckoning them closer.

Kakashi approached first, drawing level with her knee and staring up at where she sat tall and easily astride the fidgeting falcon. "Is it safe for the rest of us to mount up, or will we end up brutally mauled?"

She grinned, nodding fiercely, face rapt with pride. "They're such proud, noble creatures. This is a wonderful gesture for them to make; letting us ride on their backs, that is. Can you get on or do you need a hand?" Kakashi surveyed the height pensively, painfully considering his stiffness and the possibility of reopening his wound should he make any sudden movements. "I believe that I may need some help".

Oh if only he'd waited before saying those words.

"Never fear, Kakashi! I shall assist you in your time of ungraceful weakness!" Gai's voice boomed out from behind him and before Kakashi's strained reflexes could respond, he felt himself being seized under the arms and hoisted aloft. Kurotaka's arms guided him onto the bird's back, Gai boosting him up from the ground as he scrabbled to stick himself to the feathers with Chakra. Ah the shame of it all. Bad enough to be too stiff to clamber onto the wretched creature, let alone foolish enough to let Gai know of that weakness and add something else to his growing blackmail collection.

A few minutes later and the other three were also mounted on their identical albino falcon, Akiraka pinned in between Masurao and Gai to prevent her from slipping off. Since healing Kakashi, her Chakra had still to return to its normal levels. She still looked dazed, staring into the horizon. They needed to get her back to Konoha; back to a hospital where she so desperately needed to be now.

Kurotaka leant forward, murmuring to the great bird beneath her. Kakashi felt the powerful muscles beneath him bunch, wings tucking and then exploding, thrusting them suddenly upwards in a remarkable demonstration of strength. Gravity sucked at him, making him feel as though he were being plastered against the soft feathers. Wings beat steadily, strongly alongside him, wind screaming past as they rapidly gained height. The pressure finally lessened, the bird now cruising at a convenient height, wings beating less frequently.

Kakashi glanced once back down at the ground and swiftly added that move to one of his most foolish. He let his attentions remain fixed purely ahead of him. Just don't let that Chakra hold fail now… Ok, that wasn't a reassuring thought. Oh what a lousy idea this had been.

Kurotaka turned back to face him, face glowing with pleasure. For a moment he wanted to hate her for enjoying what he was so acutely not, but the look of joy she was wearing suited her too well. He carefully moved his hands forward, wrapping his arms around her waist for reasons beyond trying to quell his vertigo. She blushed, eyes alight with another emotion apart from her euphoria at the sensation of flight. Kakashi smiled gently behind his mask as she leant backwards against him.

Oh if only that trusting action hadn't made him even more aware of his ginger hold on the bird's slippery back…

……..

wild-filly: Once again, standard drill – will update as and when I can, so please review and give me whatever feedback you deem important… or even if it's purely random. I like that as well (happy grin)


	21. Chapter 20

Wild-filly: (dazed expression) Woooahhh… truly EVIL school-related workload at the moment. Talk about nose to the grindstone, I've been having a hellish time here (collapses into computer chair). Can't apologise enough for the slump in updates, so to make it up to you all somehow, I have personally answered all of your reviews and thank you all for continuing to read!

Hiddenwindmill: thank you… yes things were a little rushed, but that was predominantly because in wartime, no Jounin really has that much time to hang around I suppose. I won't give any spoilers about the rest of the fic, but I'll have to remind you that it is supposed to get darker… I'm not completely merciless though… Thank you for your comment!

Rose: lol, yes; am trying and trying to update whenever I can – glad that you enjoy it!

Andrea: wow… thanks a lot for that one. My already swelled ego has taken a turn for the worse (sheepish grin) I'm really glad that you like this fic so much – thank you for that!

Sky Spade: right here! Thanks for your comment!

Tora Macaw: lol, thanks! Yes, I did quite enjoy the mention, especially since I've now seen Hellsing and can't decide whether or not I'm so upset about the whole "dancing" incident (sheepish grin) It's great to have the humiliating moment immortalized…

Anime Lance: (grin) Yes, they are in a pretty bad state at the moment… never mind – shall deal with that in this chapter, never fear! (coughs) Ignore that comment… thanks for your support

TheMhnomi: Shonnikins, oh sister dearest? Thank you so much for the term… is this all a ploy to get advertising?

Grummur: lol, that they are! Not really a tree so much as a bird at the moment, but all the same… (snickers)

Loki: Yep, update whenever I have the computer to myself and to be perfectly honest, I'm fascinated to find out exactly what happens too (sweatdrop). I have a vague plot and lots of deviations…

Katzuki: lol, more fluff you say? Why not… it'll be coming soon anyways (grin)

Kimpster: Will do, thank you!

JapanAnimeGirl: (grin) I was tempted to let him have it as well, but figured it could wait a little longer, lol. It's nice to hear that Masurao is taken as well as Kuro is, as well – thanks!

Fritz Will Get You: lol, I'm glad you like it so much!

Lihang asul: Thanks for that… I do try to keep him acting in a believable fashion whilst going along a somewhat different storyline, so feel free to point out whenever I stray too far (grin)

Poi Poi: (snickers) Yes… he's my favourite character but I just have to make a fool out of him – I'm needlessly sadistic at times, but it's all the more fun that way (grin)

TEH CONFUZZLED ONE: don't worry, all will make sense in due time (smile) This fic is set in the present, but Kakashi's remembering the past – back to when he doesn't have the Sharingan. I promise that things will make sense later, but not necessarily in the same way that most people think they will…

Aika Yuzumi: Thanks for that (grin)

Fangirl not obsessive though: (snicker) Wonderful isn't it? Nothing wrong with fangirlish ways, just as long as they aren't too rabid… thanks!

LONEGIRL7: Thank you very much! It's great to hear that my ocs and the normal cast seem to fit together alright…

Disclaimer: Don't own don't sue.

Much more psychological this chapter – just thought I'd mention…

……….

Okumen Gokurakuchou: Chapter 20

……….

The rolling, surging motion of the bird's powerful flight muscles was even worse than the lumbering shuffle of the most uncoordinated camel imaginable. With every decisive wing beat, Kakashi could feel his whole body being thrown backwards, held in place only by the weakest of Chakra bonds. He couldn't afford to expend anymore in his current condition; he'd run the risk of blacking out in exhaustion and then plummeting to the ground. Not a pleasant option to consider at this current altitude. Kurotaka was leaning forward, staring down past the wing joint at the countryside sweeping below them. He wished she wouldn't do that.

"Hey Kakashi, we've just passed one of the bordering villages! Konoha'll appear any minute now! I didn't expect them to be so fast…"

"Wonderful" he muttered, face even paler than usual under the mask. Nausea gripped him spasmodically, burning the back of his throat, stomach writhing despite the fact he hadn't eaten anything for the last twenty-four hours. Was it the energy he was losing that caused the sickness, lack of food itself or just vertigo? It didn't really bear thinking about. However he was fairly sure that Kurotaka would not have so much of an interest in him if he proceeded to throw up about now. Quelling it was easier said than done though.

"Kurotaka?" Sweat beaded on his brow. "Is it possible for us to go any faster, or maybe to walk the rest of the way?" The burning at the back of his throat was now exceptionally hard to ignore. An unpleasant fatigue was gripping his muscles, loosening them to a shaky weakness and slackening his grip even further.

"Whatever for?" She glanced back at him in surprise. He stared back at her weakly, trying not to look too pathetic. It didn't seem to be working though, as she affixed him with an expression so filled with pity that he felt both extremely guilty and somewhat indignant. Honestly… he didn't look that bad, did he?

"Oh Kakashi… You should have said something! I didn't know that you were airsick!" It was almost scary how concerned she was now in comparison to her previous displays of complete disregard for his health. She leant forwards, precariously close to tipping all the way over the bird's neck as she reached to speak into the great creature's hidden ear. Head tilted on one side momentarily, the wing beats sped up, wind surging to batter even more powerfully against Kakashi's brittle body. He closed his eyes, trying to soothe his mind with meditation. Such a shame he'd never practised at such heights before. It brought a little comfort in that he couldn't see the ground any more, at least. Something warm wrapped itself around his shoulders. He didn't open his eyes. Kurotaka's complete disregard for heights and awkward positions when at great ones wouldn't help his situation. Her arm did feel comforting in its own way though.

There was an unpleasant jolt, followed by another from his stomach; now growling and burning with a boiling fury. He stifled a groan and the arm tightened around him. "We're descending into Konoha now Kakashi, you'll be fine. Just a few more minutes".

He couldn't even answer that with a grunt. He'd never felt more wretched in his life.

As minutes trailed by, taking what felt like an eternity with them, the ground spiralled closer and closer until at last the albino wings flared, a feathery crested halo around the two Shinobi. There was a soft thump and then a shrieking of scoured stone, as two sets of dark talons dug into the limestone brick of a convenient building, grinding until they sliced deep grooves into the rock and secured there. Kurotaka swiftly slid off the falcon's back, guiding Kakashi down like a boneless scarecrow. His knees nearly buckled with relief, legs like rubber when they hit the blessedly solid and relatively closer ground, still not wanting to open his eyes. As he heard an exclamation from the ever-delightful fellow Jounin that was Gai though, he forced them open. Now was not the time to add more to the blackmail list…

Gai and Masurao clattered down from their mount in suitably undignified and unskilled manners, both reaching up to steady Akiraka, who looked as though she hadn't been able to stifle her airsickness. She swayed uncertainly on her feet, eyes glazed over and unfocussed. Masurao bent over her, murmuring a quiet question to which he was given no answer, not even a flicker of an eyelash to suggest that she'd heard him. Masurao glanced over at Kakashi. "We need to get her to the hospital, quickly". He nodded, the nausea calming now but body still shivery with clinging, leftover fatigue and weakness that seemed to seep from the core of his bones. Maybe it hadn't been vertigo but Chakra drain after all.

Kurotaka surveyed the village from their current station; abandoned on a building with only fading clouds of smoke marking where the great falcons had once stood. "We're right on the edge of the village; it shouldn't take us more than three minutes to get there". Gai's eyes caught fire, one fist clasped in rabid determination. "We can make in less than that! The fair Akiraka-san will not suffer any more!"

With that declaration, he seized the ragdoll-limp Kunoichi and leapt from the roof, landing lightly on a bricked patio below and sprinting off, leaving only three stunned and somewhat disturbed Shinobi in his wake.

"Geez" muttered Masurao. "It's not as if the rest of us weren't headed there already". He turned to Kakashi, face radiant with innocence. "Would you like me to do the same for you, Kakashi-kun, or can you walk?"

A raw, very pained but none the less vengeful fist sailed through the air and caught the top of the grinning ninja's head, serving only to cause the fist's owner to yelp in pain and for Masurao to lose the few brain cells that he hadn't been using any way. Kurotaka sighed and resolutely glared at both of them as diplomatically as possible.

…….

"What the hell kind of a condition do you call this to come to me in!"

Blinking weakly, Kakashi opened his mouth to answer but was cut off by another verbal assault.

"You're a complete mess! Just what the hell caused this?" A gloved finger probed deeply into the inflamed mass of gashes that was his chest, forcing a yelp from Kakashi's throat and releasing a cloud of little gold stars to glitter all around his vision, as though someone had emptied a packet of glitter onto his retina. The matron grumbled to herself, removing the offending finger, sticky with blood and pus as Kakashi mentally reeled, grateful that he was already lying down. "I don't know… and you're a Jounin of all things. You're not supposed to get injured like this any more, let alone let it get infected".

Kakashi coughed, wincing as he did so; the tears on his chest threatening to rupture around the spot where the matron's fingers had already punctured. Despite his best rebukes, Masurao and Kurotaka had ended up half leading, half carrying him most of the way to the hospital. "How badly are they infected?" She gave him a dark look over the top of a pair of half-moon spectacles.

"You aren't going to be doing anything for a while, Hatake-san, that much is certain". She turned away from him, clattering away with a bundle of trays and something that sounded unpleasantly metallic. He wished that he wasn't him right now. From where he was lying stripped to the waist on a starched and sterilised hospital bed, Kakashi closed his eyes. He didn't want to witness what she was about to do, but knew that choices were limited, just as pain killers were.

"Your Chakra's almost drained dry and still going". It was a statement, not a question. "That should be indicator enough of how badly they're infected; that your body is drawing on everything it has to help itself. And all this running around and irresponsible behaviour has completely trashed your immune system, just in time for the infection to get into full swing. Frankly I'm surprised that you aren't unconscious right now". She turned back to him, hypodermic clutched in one hand. "If you don't sleep through this, then you'll have the pleasure of witnessing your chest being remodelled, so don't fight the effects".

"Are you always so blunt with your patients?" Kakashi let his arm muscles sag as she thrust the hypodermic needle deep into his upper arm, emptying some form of medicine into his body. All at once everything fell into a kind of haze, consciousness slipping away from him. He didn't fight it.

…….………

There was light coming in from the window. White, starched curtains fluttering in the gentle breeze that was admitted into the room by the crack that the glass was left open. Sunlight fell in dapples through the crisp linen material, dancing and shifting across scrubbed and spotless grey slate tiles. He let the shimmering, floating paths of the light occupy his mind, thinking of nothing except for their ethereal dance. It was all so detached, so surreal. His body was distant to him; numb from the eyes down. The breeze traced his forehead, cooling… such a peculiar feeling. He had never contemplated it before; the logic to being, to feeling… Complete loss of his sense of self and yet understanding himself more than he ever had. What drugs had he been put on? The trained responses that had been drilled into him after years of ninjutsu education were filtering through the protective dull fog, dragging his mind back into focus. Such distancing could be lethal; he needed to concentrate and regain himself. More than his mind; his body also.

Slowly he began to recognise his being, blinking and raising his stare from the floor. Someone was breathing nearby; a steady rhythm, but not the heavy breathing of sleep. Gingerly he tried to shuffle over, to sit up. Pain flared, every sensor erupting with a series of pain-filled messages that hadn't been delivered earlier and that were now anxious to make up for lost time. The intensity of it tore through him, agonised and deadening; consciousness almost ripped from him. Whoever was sitting next to him noticed, as there was a creak from a wooden chair and a soft clip of leather sandals. A pair of hands gently reached over, turning him from his side and onto his back. The movement robbed Kakashi of breath, chest tightening with agony and threatening to throw him back into a tortured slumber, but he forced his eyes to stay open, to meet those of the Third Hokage.

"Hokage-sama…" The words were raspy, disused. Just how long had he been out for? The very effort of those words near exhausted him, chest searing as though scalded with a branding iron.

The Third smiled, lifting a glass of water from the bedside cabinet to Kakashi's lips. Sipping at the tasteless distilled water, Kakashi shook his head and the Hokage replaced the glass. He tried again. "Hokage-sama, why are you here?" It still hurt, but he'd be damned if that stopped him.

Eyes bent into a gentle smile, the Third replied "it's my duty as Hokage to congratulate every new Jounin upon passing the exam, even during troubled times such as these".

Kakashi frowned. "How long have you been waiting for me to wake up, Hokage-sama?"

"You have been in a state of induced sleep for four days, Kakashi. I only came here a little while ago". The Third's eyes were concerned. "The wound you took could have killed you. It came very close to it, even with Akiraka's sealing of the bleeding so early. The medic-nin had to remove and re-fabricate much of the tissue in your chest cavity. You are fortunate though, in that they shall neither scar permanently nor affect your future as a ninja".

Kakashi cursed himself mentally. This still wasn't going to be pretty. "My companions… are they alright?"

"Yumenimo Kurotaka, Maito Gai and Irai Masurao were treated and discharged three days ago, as their wounds were comparatively minor to treat and required fairly little attention. Akiraka-san however, she remains to be in a very critical condition". Kakashi stared, tentatively edging himself backwards until he raised his head high enough on the pillows to look the Hokage in the eye. "What is the extent of her injuries?" He had assessed them himself from a distance a while ago, but needed his theories verified, along with his fears.

With a sigh, the Third shook his head. "She was tortured physically and mentally in that prison in hopes that her suffering would wring information from Gai. He gave them information that would take their violence from her, but it was too late as far as damage went. They kept attacking her even after their questions were answered. Her injuries will heal with time, but as far as I know the last time she acted like any semblance of her old self was when she healed you in the desert. Up until now though, she has been completely silent and dependent on the nurses to care for her. If she does not come to, then she will never be a normal person, let alone a ninja again".

Kakashi closed his eyes. Guilt, anguish. "Could I go and see her?" How could one so vivacious have lost it all so cruelly? That little strawberry-blonde whirlwind that had dogged his steps through childhood, camera and cheeky grin taking up most of her face.

"Later perhaps. I believe she is sleeping now".

"Are the others anywhere nearby? Have they tried to help her?" Of course they would have tried. Success in trying was another thing though.

"I'm afraid they've already been assigned to a new mission and their efforts were ineffective". He stared at the Third incredulously. "You shouldn't have expected anything else, Kakashi. We are in the middle of a war, remember, and we need every Shinobi we can get. Your comrades are required on the front lines more urgently than they are needed at your side".

"Where are they? Am I going to be sent on to join them?" Foolish, selfish words. He felt like a child for asking them, but couldn't hold them back. The answer already rang through his head, even without asking.

The Third smiled gently, "they're carrying out missions that concern only them and Konoha, Kakashi-kun. When you are recovered then you shall be sent on a mission as well, but probably not with them". The words carried a strange sting to them. He had been on many missions, with many different comrades every time; never before had he felt any attachment beyond union in a common goal with any of them. It was possible that he had picked up something else from this Jounin exam, something that he had never had before. Unnecessary attachment to one's comrades would only jeopardise the mission objectives; would only relive the horrors that his father went through. He couldn't replicate that terrible mistake; couldn't attach himself to others.

"For now though, your blood has been purified and the scars, although painful now, are completely closed. You just need to build up your stamina again and then you can get back to work. I, on the other hand, must leave you and return to my duties. Good luck".

Pale robes swishing, the Hokage rose, inclined his head to Kakashi and then disappeared behind the sliding door of the hospital room. Kakashi stared after him; mind a hive of confused information.

I could go after them. Disobey the Hokage's orders and go assist the others on the frontlines? Idiocy. He couldn't betray Konoha like that and his friends certainly wouldn't thank him from it. But if something happened to them while he was off running some other errand, could he forgive himself? Not his concern… they were elitist Jounin, not some Genin children; they could take care of themselves without him. But he'd never felt this kind of protectiveness over them, not even when he was younger and being looked after by Masurao and Akiraka. Not even back in the Academy, not even as Chuunin. There had never been the same level of danger, of… attachment. Yes, he'd always been fond of them, but never to the extent that he'd consider throwing aside everything he'd ever been taught. And then there was Kurotaka; a piece in the puzzle that completely threw his bearings – she didn't seem to fit into the puzzle as much as act as a centrepiece in the middle of it; conspicuous, imposing, out-of-place and yet irreplaceable. Such strange emotions she brought out in him; completely impractical emotions for a Shinobi. Nothing like he had ever experienced before; he had been admired all throughout his Academy days, but he had always been the admired; never the admirer. He thought he'd understood the rules to that game, but now he was reading an entirely different set. In a different language. Without a dictionary. In the dark.

The tangle of his thoughts was interrupted by a bustling nurse, presence announced by the clattering of a trolley and the declaration that he was to begin rehabilitation today. Despite his indignant protests, she insisted on helping him into his familiar dark training gi and hauling him to his feet. The pain of it was phenomenal, eyes rolling to the back of his head out of sheer reflexive agony, but she was relentless. With a vicelike grip she steered him through the room and out into the corridor. Each staggering step that he was dragged along by seemed to take an eternity –an eternity of muscular torture.

"Come on Hatake-san. You have been lying abed for only four days – your muscles haven't wasted completely, but it you don't start moving them now, then it'll take even longer for them to get back into practise".

Oh, how he loathed the voice of reason. He couldn't even stomach an answer to that comment. At least the scrapes and sores on his legs and arms were no longer smarting; albeit the pain that they had contributed seemed meagre in comparison to his burning chest. For all the agony that it caused, he allowed himself to be lead like a blind man, bent double through the hospital and into the gardens around the building, to be sat down on a bench.

His limbs appeared to be reacknowledging his ownership of them at least. Just a shame that he couldn't disown his chest and the pain that came additionally though.

………….

It was perhaps another three days before he could move around freely, chest stretching but not paining him so much anymore. According to the medic-nin in charge of his progress, the aches in his chest would wane over time, but in the meantime, he should try to resume life as normal. Visits to the training grounds confirmed his suspicions that his accuracy hadn't faded – should he be caught in conflict anytime soon, and then he could probably rely on his skills as a user of kunai, shuriken and genjutsu. As for his stamina… it would return in time. Today however, he had something more important on his mind.

A nurse barred his way, eyeing him curiously as he strode up to the sliding door of a quiet ward. "What is your business with the patient in here, sir?"

"She's a friend of mine; our injuries where both incurred on the same mission under Konoha's name". He spoke as politely as possible, trying not to liken the small woman to a squirrel, as he looked her into her overbright eyes, filling with a watery adoration. "I would like to offer her some support".

Face flushed slightly, twisting a lock of chestnut hair between her thumb and forefinger, the nurse beamed widely at him. "I'm afraid that the patient hasn't been responding to any kind of outside stimulus. It isn't likely that she'll even notice your being there". Her voice was in high falsetto; a complete disservice to any intelligence that she may possibly own.

Kakashi suppressed the urge to roll his eyes as she continued to ogle at him. Honestly. Could people at least try not to make it so obvious that they loved the sight of him? He'd only left his mask off because the doctors kept glaring at him with disapproval every time he donned it: their reasoning hopefully medical. Either way, his ego was quite overfed as it was. The sooner he was back in the company of the people who loved to hate him, the better. "That doesn't especially matter; I just want to see if she's okay".

'Okay then". With a nervous giggle, the nurse slid the door open. "If you want I can go through her medical file with you afterwards".

"A kind offer, but I'll have to decline since I'm sure that's illegal. Thank you all the same". He slid the door shut after himself. Unbelievable. His eyes roamed across the room, finally falling on the motionless form of Akiraka, sitting on a pristine hospital bed and staring out the window. Cautiously he approached the side of the bed, kneeling down on the floor in front of her.

"Akiraka? Are you listening to me?"

She blinked her eyes slowly, pupils shrunken to the size of pinpricks as she stared into the sun. He sighed. Maybe she was, maybe she wasn't. Her blank stare gave nothing away. A complete zombie.

"Akiraka… why are you letting yourself be overcome by this?" His voice was gentle, shaking slightly with concern. "You've spent years learning the way of the Shinobi, including the ways that people try to break us. You understand how they work, so you should know that these workings can be unpicked; they can be overridden". No response. She didn't even blink her eyes. He began to fear the worst: it was too late for any such words.

"Please… try to listen to my reasoning. The only way that you can live like this is if you let yourself; psychology is something that your own mind can master, no one else. If you let the horrors that those bastards subjected you to take over, then they've won". He searched her face desperately, voice threatening to allow more emotion through. He knew that his words were just preaching, the spouting of theories that made sense in textbooks and scrolls, but seldom applied to real life. They had to help. They had to be worth something more than theory.

She released a sigh, eyes still fixed on the burning morning sun. Her cracked lips moved, soundless. He leant in closer, trying to catch her words. She smelt sterile, the starched cleanliness of the hospital, with no trace of her favourite old lavender scents.

"Don't try to tell me, Kakashi-kun. I know. I know more than you ever will".

"Then you should fight it! Like you know you should – you're one of the best ninja I know, you can't let this happen to yourself". He stared at her in a mute horror. "Look at you! Your wounds have healed, but you're nothing but skin and bone. Why are you continuing the work that they started?"

"Because I know why they did it, Kakashi-kun". She turned sightless eyes on his, gaze an unfocussed glaze and blinded by sunlight. "I deserved this. I will bear it. I know what it is they wanted". He couldn't speak, completely aghast at her words.

"You never deserved this, Akiraka-chan". The words shook in his throat, choking his breath. "Don't anyone ever let you tell you otherwise". She smiled softly, shaking her head once. "It doesn't matter any more Kakashi-kun. This is my punishment. My sacrifice". He couldn't think of a single word to say; he was so appalled and shredded inside. Minutes dragged by, his dark eyes locked on her own, pale and spiritless pupils.

She said no more to him, eyes continuing to stare dreamily through him. At last he got up off the floor, not even bothering to dust himself off. Eyes still fixed on Akiraka were now brooding in sorrow, emotion almost escaping. "This wasn't your fault. It should never have happened". Empty words. Useless words in the face of such belief.

Yet it was with those words that he strode silently from the room, not even bothering to answer the flirtatious, high-pitched bantering of the nurse outside the door. His mind was a blur, soundless and screaming at the same time. With little thought in returning to his room, he found himself stooping to collect what possessions of his had been sent over to the hospital. Cramming the bundle of clothing and small personal items into a navy blue bag, he left the hospital via a window; a much more effective way of discharging and involving much less paperwork.

The Hokage's office became his mind's only goal, running, flitting ninja style over rooftops. Even joy from the returning sensation of his own strength, muscles gathering and releasing with practised ease and the wind guiding, buffeting against his body could not shift the dark pensiveness of the thoughts in his head. He had to get out of this mindset. And there was only one way that he knew could do this best. Reaching the distinctive building of the village's leader in a matter of minutes, he ignored the surprised welcomes of fellow Shinobi ambling around the winding passages until he finally arrived outside the Hokage's office, letting himself in to stand by the cluttered desk beside the other ninja gathered there. He stood there silently, oblivious to the startled mutterings that clouded the air around him. These words were meaningless. As meaningless as his own.

Smoking his pipe benignly, Sarutobi turned his critical glance to the emotionless Jounin before him, looking up from a wad of papers that he was reading out to a small group before him. "There is something that you require from me, Kakashi-san?" His voice was mild, eyes carefully scrutinising Kakashi's own. The other Shinobi stood in an appalled silence.

"I wish to be assigned a new mission Hokage-sama. My strength is not quite that of previous months, but my accuracy has not wavered. My only desire is to serve my village".

The Third Hokage stared even more suspiciously at him. "The hospital has not informed me of your discharge, Hatake Kakashi. I have no use for a ninja not at his prime".

"The land is at war, Hokage-sama. Every capable ninja is required and I cannot let myself idly pass the hours away healing when I know this". It was true, but not exactly the reasoning behind his sudden decision to pick up where he left off. He needed to get away from here; to get away from his thoughts – the thoughts that Akiraka had stimulated in his mind.

The Hokage waved a hand dismissively at the office-workers and curious ninja around them. "A moment please". As soon as the last one had filed out of the door, Sarutobi frowned. "Kakashi. I know that you're only doing this to escape yourself".

"If Konoha is in need, then why should I not offer myself to its service? I am duty-bound to serve this nation". Kakashi let no emotion beyond his face; now would not do for such a revelation.

"Stop quoting your Academy education Kakashi, I'm being serious". Kakashi stared bluntly back at him. "As am I".

"Not truly, no Kakashi. Perhaps in part, but you are too well trained a Shinobi to volunteer for missions when you know that your decrease in strength could potentially put others at risk. You cannot simply bury yourself in work to avoid reality. It's as destructive as what Akiraka is doing to herself right now".

Dark eyes flashed. "You've let her do this to herself. All of this education, this mindless propaganda has lead her to believing that she deserves to be tortured – to be a tool for Konoha". His fist crashed onto the surface of the desk, knocking a pile of papers to the ground and denting the polished surface underneath. His blood was boiling in an unreasonable fury, one that he couldn't even understand himself. "It sickens me, this pathetic, nationalistic cause".

The Hokage just stared at him mutely, eyes watchful. Kakashi felt the rage continue to bubble up inside him. "You aren't even going to refute that claim? Make no effort to state that Akiraka doesn't deserve this? That she was right to have lost her blood and sanity in the name of this village and its cause?"

"No Kakashi, I'm not. Because that's not the truth and you just can't bring yourself to accept it. You yourself don't even believe those words".

"Nonsense". A snarl. He could hardly recognise himself and yet had never felt more normal in his life. Kakashi barely registered the fact that he was almost shouting at, threatening the prized, beloved leader of his village. Something had snapped, released in his mind – a realisation that he had mused over for years, yet never shared with anyone. It had always been too dark, too deep for casual conversation. All it had taken was a personification of his fears to bring this tide roaring to the shores of his consciousness. Yet at the same time, with the rage came an accompanying anguish. They were all only pawns – game pieces of the diplomatic relations between nations, without concern for the wellbeing of the pawns themselves. Replaceable.

He raised one fist, clenched tightly to the point that his nails bit through the soft black fabric covering his palm, digging into calloused flesh and striking blood, a lazy crimson trickle staining his fingers. The pain flitted into his mind, already heavily laden with conflicting emotion and temporarily blocking all other thoughts from his head. He turned away from Sarutobi's calm, almost regretful expression, staring instead at his bloodied hand. He had just shed blood, and for what reason? He'd done it himself, for selfish thoughts that focussed only on his own horror.

"Kakashi". The voice was almost too quiet too hear, filled with a tone that Kakashi couldn't identify. Pity? Sorrow? Regret? It could even be anger; he couldn't tell. However, it was enough for him to lower his fist and return his gaze to the Hokage's serious eyes.

"You've seen what Akiraka has done to herself, but not all of it was self-inflicted. Much of the psychological damage had started before she even entered the exam. It is not Konoha's intention to produce mindless drones, submissive only to the village's cause; so don't embrace that illusion. Akiraka's troubles stemmed from her family's interpretation of complete submission and sacrifice to Konoha". Kakashi stared at him quizzically.

"That doesn't sounds like Akiraka. She never gave a damn about duty to anything in her life. Any of the instructors or her landlord could tell you that".

"It's true, your observation". Sighing and massaging his wrist distractedly, the Third continued. "However, that doesn't mean that she wasn't still subjected to these notions throughout most of her life. Maybe she ignored them for the most part, but it only takes one event for something to take on an entirely different meaning".

"That hell that she went through… that torture… she decided then of all times to embrace her family's lunatic notions?" The rage was stirring again. Kakashi glared down at the Hokage, despite the voice in his head informing him that the man could hardly be the one responsible for this. Not to mention the reasoning that he could hardly threaten a ninja with prowess of over one thousand jutsu. Logic was taking the backseat in this particular ride.

"So it would seem". Another sigh. "Don't think that I didn't try to help her Kakashi". Now it was Sarutobi's turn to glare accusingly. "I spent the best part of the time you were healing trying to reach her. She chose to fall back on her family's beliefs in order to survive the ordeal that she went through; believing that she was taking this all for a cause. It kept her alive, if nothing else. Can you accept that answer?"

Kakashi shook his head slowly, eyes as heavy as though lined with an invisible metal coating. He stared at the floor, unable to look the Hokage in the eyes. "No. But my choices are limited".

"That they are, Hatake Kakashi. I am as saddened as you are to be a witness to Akiraka-san's suffering; each person of this village is like family to me. I can feel your sorrow as acutely as I can feel that of her family – they never thought that it could come to this".

There was nothing more to say about that. He just wanted to abandon the whole, painful subject. "Hokage-sama. I wish to serve Konoha in a mission upon the earliest opportunity". Perhaps now his request would be met.

"You wish to join your friends from the Jounin exam?" Kakashi knew that if he answered this question incorrectly then he'd be sent back to the hospital for rehabilitation. Possibly under lock and guard, which would only make it so much more embarrassing. For the guard that was.

"No Hokage-sama. I will accept whatever mission that I am given; that is my duty".

And how he would ponder over those exact words over the coming years. Not that he planned to follow them exactly according to plan in this case. He had no intentions of allowing the same thing that happened to Akiraka befall Kurotaka.

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Wild-filly: T'would appear that we're getting much more serious now… Will update as soon as I get a break… possibly sometime in my next life (wry grin) Hopefully before then though (more cheerful grin)

MANGA SPOILERS FOR KAKASHI ARC IN NEXT CHAPTER– if you haven't read this far ahead in the manga, then I recommend reading them now; hey, I'll send you a synopsis to if you haven't read them yet… wonderful arc it is. I won't be rewriting the entire arc, just a mental tour, so if you want to get more background on this section, then please ask, I don't want people confused!


	22. Chapter 21

Wild-filly: Yes, yes, I know that this update is well overdue, but so's my sleep debt and there're only 5 weeks until school finishes, so I promise that there will be updates more frequently after the 22nd November – the date of my last exam… Many thanks unto everyone who has continued reading and reviewing my work – I love you all!

Disclaimer: Don't own don't sue

By the way: This chapter contains SPOILERS of a sort; the fourth Hokage's kind of dead already in this fanfic, so it's just Kakashi, Obito and Rin in the group. All that is said and done in this chapter will be kept as accurate as possible regarding the manga, however not everything is as it happened, since Okumen Gokurakuchou doesn't fit at times. Please don't lynch me for editing the manga somewhat! I love the original manga to pieces, however since it doesn't fit into Okumen Gokurakuchou, I have had to alter little bits here and there. Since a few people contacted me asking for clarification, I decided to make life easier for everyone by including the doctored arc within the fanfic itself – enjoy!

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Okumen Gokurakuchou: Chapter 21

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The Third was still reluctant to send Kakashi off again, but in all honesty, there wasn't much choice involved. Many Shinobi had been sent off to different battlefields, or enlisted into spying missions: even Shinobi inferior to Kakashi were placed in dangerous situations. It would be ridiculous to exclude an ANBU captain from such a war, based only on a little psychological issue. Any general would say the same thing. Even the Hokage couldn't hold his ground for too long on the matter.

Kakashi only dimly acknowledged the details of his mission; some little task: espionage; sabotage; and with his old Genin team under him no less. The Hokage obviously didn't want him to get too stirred up; nothing else would explain the minor nature of the task. Something else irked him though; the girl, Rin, was agreeable enough, but Obito was by far the most pathetic excuse for a ninja that he'd ever come across. Unlike Kurotaka, Obito was a legitimate Uchiha and also unlike Kuro, the boy seemed completely incapable of using any competent technique. Apart from complaining that was – Kakashi was fairly sure that most opponents would rather run away, hands clamped over their ears, than put up with that cry-baby's nonsense. The goggles that he wore clamped over his eyes failed to protect their owner from all kinds of "dust" that seemed to manifest and force his eyes to become teary, always during the most difficult times. A remarkable affliction.

Kakashi yawned, teasing at his forehead protector glinting on his forehead. He seldom wore it during missions, since the last thing you wanted was a glittering piece of metal on your head to both give away your position and serve as a target. However, since the nation was at war, it was more important to distinguish yourself as friend or foe, rather than be attacked and asked later. Usually in the afterlife.

"Kakashi, it's good to see you again". A familiar female voice chirped from the forest scrub, a Kunoichi with white bands decorating her face stepping nimbly from the shadows. She stood slightly shorter than Kakashi, a medic-nin by trade and swifter than she was strong. Her medical jutsu however, never failed to assist where her physical strength left off.

"Hai". He nodded in response to her. She smiled and turned back towards the woods from which she had come. "Obito should be coming. At least he said he was".

Typical. Kakashi rolled his eyes and carelessly surveyed the surroundings, sheltered from the attentions of other Shinobi by a cover of deep foliage. Perhaps it seemed a little paranoid to meet up here of all places, but one could never be too careful these days. The minutes oozed by, Kakashi's temper stoking to a great heat. Of all the useless Shinobi-wannabes to be stuck with, he had to be saddled with this one. Rin grinned over at him.

"I have a present for you, Kakashi-kun, for becoming a Jounin, that is".

"Hai?" He blinked. It hadn't occurred to him that she knew about his taking the exam. He watched her with surprise as she reached back into her belongings and pulled out a medical pack, a wrought charm sewn into its cover. His eyes bent into a smile. "Thank you". The cheerfulness was short lived though, as they continued to await the arrival of the last member of their group. An hour trickled by, with Kakashi's annoyance steadily stoking itself into boiling flames of ire. At last a great crashing arose from the bushes and out flew the useless Shinobi in question, breath heaving in great heavy gasps. "Did I just make it in time?"

Kakashi felt his teeth gritting despite his normally demure temperament. All of the events of the past month; his injuries, Akiraka's illness, Kurotaka's absence… his head clamoured with thoughts so much more necessary than this petty little mission. Obito wasn't a bad person, he knew that, but somehow he just couldn't apply it to his words.

"No, because you're late!" He snapped. He didn't want to be here. He wished that he wasn't here. The temptation to ditch both Rin and Obito and take off after Masurao and Kurotaka; two capable Shinobi; was almost disturbingly high. In spite of this, he forced himself to be civil, changing his tone to one more condescending than annoyed.

"What time did you think we were meeting? If you're a fully fledged ninja, you should naturally follow the rules and regulations strictly!" Kakashi almost choked on his own words, but knew that there was a lot of truth within them. Not only regarding his own father's experience in this matter, but also in the actions that he was thinking of committing. His father hadn't been thanked by Konoha for abandoning his mission for the sake of his comrades, therefore Kakashi himself had to accept this fact as well.

Obito snorted, offended, "Have you no kindness in you? I had to stop and help an old lady…"

Rin snickered quietly, "can't you two ever give it a rest? You're on the same team remember, and we have a mission to go on!" Kakashi nodded towards Rin, but dryly commented, "You're too easy-going towards Obito…"

"And who are you to judge?" Kakashi smirked beneath his mask at the indignant Uchiha. There was a startling similarity between his and Kurotaka's pout. "This is a very important day for me, since I'm leading our mission into Earth Country".

"Why you?" Obito glanced over at Rin in confusion, who answered his question with an exasperated sigh. "Kakashi was accepted as a Jounin a few days ago, so he's the leader of our 3-man team, instead of sensei". A silence enveloped all three, Kakashi staring unseeingly at his feet, of course. This was their first mission without the Fourth to guide them. Clearing his throat, Kakashi decided to break the pensive atmosphere.

"The Earth country's Shinobi of the Hidden Rock are invading the Hidden Grass, so we are to provide support to the Hidden Grass by sabotaging the enemy advance". Sabotage was not a particularly bloody event, nor would it be too demanding on a Shinobi such as Kakashi, hence the Hokage's decision to send him on this mission. "We are to destroy the bridge behind enemy lines that is used to bring supplies to the front, and then withdraw swiftly". Obito and Rin nodded in agreement.

With that, the three took off, loping ninja style through the forest at a respectable cruising speed. Kakashi let the breeze roaring in his ears call his mind into a soft state of unquestioning blankness. Perhaps this truly was just what he needed – something to take his mind off of the events of the past few months: something that was completely normal to him, which he had been trained all of his life for. There was a monotony in the work that was almost therapeutic.

An hour eased by, Kakashi still jogging serenely in front of Rin, with Obito bringing up the rear. Despite the fact that the scenery was persisting in being of the tree variety, he could feel that they were leaving familiar territory, entering the Earth Country. He raised one hand and slowed, Rin and Obito following his lead. In a tentative line the three walked, Kakashi's eyes calm and alert. They were in an unknown and hostile environment, despite the peaceful blanket of natural sounds that cloaked the forest. Birdcalls could well be enemy Shinobi making contact, a cracking branch the shifting of weight in order to attack. Kakashi jerked to a halt, silently motioning for the other two to follow suit.

Something was surrounding them. He could feel its presence as invasive as though it were leaning over his shoulder: patches of silence in the copse that should have been filled with the chirps and rustles of creatures going about their daily affairs. "There're at least twenty out there… probably Kage Bunshin". He hissed to Obito, now crouched at his side. "You two hang back, I'll take care of these".

Rin frowned, "shouldn't you be the back up? We can help too".

Kakashi grinned cockily at her, "not necessary. Finally I've an opportunity to try out my new jutsu". Obito blinked curiously as Kakashi took his leave, straightening up and stepping forward confidently, one arm stretching downwards. He hadn't tried this attack for some time now; he just hoped that it wouldn't drain him too deeply. A bead of sweat trickled into a groove in his forehead, furrowed there by effort. White-hot sparks flashed from his lowered hand, clutched at the wrist by his free arm to steady it. The warm rush of Chakra engulfed his palm, causing both Rin and Obito to murmur in surprise. They'd never seen this move before, and rarely one of its calibre.

A high-pitched shrieking arose from his hand, burning with blue-white Chakra and giving rise to its namesake; One Thousand Birds. He charged. All of the speed that he'd kept in reserve was pulled out, effortlessly exposed as he sprinted around the clearing towards the first silent area. A startled Kage Bunshin lurked behind a towering mushroom, an example of primitive fungus that had been left to thrive in the woods for so long that it surpassed some trees in height. Kakashi plunged his burning hand deep into its chest. One down, nineteen to go.

Obito stared in shocked fascination. He was well aware of Kakashi's skills, but had seldom seen them in practise. The three had been on many missions together, however it had always been sensei who had taken care of the larger troubles. None of them had ever been placed in enough danger to merit using such an attack. His eyes were distracted, following Kakashi's rampage as again and again he plunged his sparking hand deep into the torso of a recurring ninja, each time disappearing in plumbs of smoke. Kage Bunshins, he mused, however it failed to occur to him that the creator of the illusions was probably closer than he thought.

Kakashi pounded across the clearing, each Bunshin now moving out to confront him; each Bunshin speared easily with the Chidori. The mechanical nature of the task was almost soothing, in a vaguely bloodthirsty way. He was dimly reminded of his two comrades, standing uncertainly at the sidelines, glancing back as he heard a shout from Rin. He tilted his head back, one eye widening as he saw one of the replicated ninja, crouched low before Obito, as though they were about to attack. How could he have been so careless! Obito had frozen, eyes shot with fear, arms trembling, useless. There was no way that Kakashi could make it back there in time. He half turned, pivoting away from his own target, even as one of Rin's kunai hurtled towards Obito's attacker, piercing their spine. The Bunshin flickered and died in a cough of smoke, Obito still standing, shaking. Kakashi heard Rin's chastising call to the other Shinobi, but didn't register it; he turned to face his own opponent, only to see a katana spiralling towards him.

Because of the angle of his head, he narrowly missed being decapitated by the blade's arc, a stream of blood spurting from his right shoulder. His eyes widened even further, pain and warm blood drenching his sleeveless black gi. That distraction had been costly indeed. The Chidori flickered, threatening to die out, but he stretched forward desperately. 19 down. The blue sparks died and he sagged, a thudding of footsteps drumming towards him. The Kunoichi knelt before him, Rin's demure expression was marred with concern as she hunched over his shoulder, hands glowing with Chakra while she fought to seal his wound closed. Yet another injury to add to the list, and he hadn't even incapacitated the target yet.

From the shadowed cover of a nearby tree, the ninja whose Bunshins had fallen victim to Kakashi's rampage frowned. At that last moment he had been about to counter that cocky kid, but he had just missed. That and his position could have been discovered. His blood ran cold as an unmistakable swish of metal, one kunai thrown from the clearing, rushed towards his ear. He never had a chance to dodge it. Kakashi laid his arm back on the ground, eyes sagging half closed with fatigue. The Chidori had been more taxing than he'd expected.

Obito glared critically down at the injured ANBU. "You shouldn't use that jutsu again – it's a thrust concentrated all on one point. You might have the destructive power and speed, but because you're going so fast you can't see your opponent's counter. It's an incomplete jutsu".

Kakashi stared back, eyes smouldering with rage. "And compared to the 'jutsu' that you performed?" Obito stepped back, face writ with annoyance. "There was something in my eye…" Again with that flimsy excuse.

"If you don't learn how to do anything other than run your mouth, then your mind will become weak, oh 'elite Uchiha'". Kakashi snapped. The anger and frustration within him was seeping with venom, his words poisonous. Before he could continue his tirade though, Rin stepped forward, hands on hips.

"Can you two remember nothing that sensei taught us? The most important thing to a Shinobi is teamwork! He always repeated this, and even now, when we are to honour his memory, you can't even respect it". Her words cut to the bone, Kakashi paling as he looked back up at the young medic-nin. The Fourth would have been disgusted at them both for their bickering, even as they sat uncovered in enemy territory. He felt suddenly dirty, sullied by his own careless words.

"Fine". Kakashi muttered, rising to his feet. He stared blearily back at their trail. "Let's move out. We've still got a mission to complete".

That night brought little peace. The wound on his shoulder had not been shallow, but thankfully Rin's healing powers would keep it closed and free from infection. He had no incentive to return to the nazi who had purged his last set of wounds. Wrapped in a sleeping bag, Kakashi stared sleepily up at the stars for the first time in weeks. He wondered where Masurao and the others were at the moment. How they were doing on the battlefield. Kuro would be holding her own just fine, but Masurao himself tended to be a klutz at the worst possible moments. Hopefully they were looking out for each other. He turned over restlessly, wincing at his shoulder pulled, stretched at the gash. He should be doing something practical, not hanging around here just to destroy some bridge. A little way off, he could make out the reverberating of voices. Obito and Rin were talking. Probably about him, judging by the whinging tone in Obito's voice.

It wasn't just because he was missing Masurao and Kurotaka that he was being so abrasive to Obito. That ninja's flagrant disrespect for the rules was just an accident waiting to happen. He stared sightlessly up at one particular star, its light flooding his vision as his mind sought thoughtless oblivion. Anything other than the thoughts that were coming to him now. But there was no avoiding them.

His father. Konoha's White Fang. Hatake Sakumo. A Shinobi who was as respected as the Three Legendary Sennin. A genius. A Shinobi who was dishonoured for abandoning his mission in order to save his team-mates' lives. A failure. The bitterness seemed to writhe within his belly as he thought about the whole twisted circumstance. In the end, even the friends he had saved had damned his father for his actions. He was ostracized, and then committed suicide, unable to live with the guilt and rejection. That was the fate that Kakashi himself could face should he abandoned this mission to aid his other team. That was the fate that could befall anyone who did not follow Konoha's rules to the letter. Obito was as vulnerable as Kakashi himself.

It could have been Kakashi's imagination, but Obito seemed to be regarding him with a careful air that next morning. He decided to ignore it. The sooner the mission was over, the better. The three paced their way carefully deeper into the enemy territory: the closer they came to the heart of the country, the more dangerous it would become. Kakashi was leading the group across a river, balancing on Chakra footholds on the water's surface, when a hailstorm of wooden projectiles burst overhead.

"Katon! Goukakyuu no jutsu!" Obito's great fireball roared up to meet the deadly hail, burning away the weapons to flakes of ash. Kakashi braced himself. He had faintly detected the attack before it had come, yet had not been able to anticipate it. This was a formidable foe indeed. Another barrage of weaponry surged towards them, thrown by a flitting blur. Kakashi's eyes flowed the blur's path, completely unaware of the second ninja behind him, not until a shriek caught his attention. He spun around and stared in horror.

Rin hung limply in the arms of an aged Shinobi, their face hard as the man sceptically surveyed the two comparatively juvenile opponents before him. "We'll look after this one". The man's voice was mocking, Rin still lolling helplessly in his grasp. She was either knocked out or under a genjutsu of some sort.

"Wait!" Kakashi shouted in dismay, however both Shinobi flickered out of sight, carrying Rin away with them. Obito gave a yell of fury and dove forwards as if to give chase, teeth bared with determination.

"Obito, don't go after them!" Hideous thoughts clawed at Kakashi's mind. It's my father's fate all over again. They're going to torture her like Akiraka was tortured, but if I save her, it'll be Obito and I on the rack. Who can win in this vicious circle?

"What the hell are you saying?" shrieked Obito in disbelief, eyes searching Kakashi's own in surprise. "What about Rin?" he didn't understand; he couldn't understand. Obito had never experienced anything quite like Kakashi had.

Kakashi closed his eyes weakly, speaking in a deadpan voice. "The two of us will resume the mission. We'll leave Rin for now: the enemy wants to know our aim. They won't kill her yet. Besides, luckily, Rin's a medic-nin, so even as a prisoner she should be treated well, provided she looks after the enemy's casualties, that is. More importantly, the issue is the enemy discovering our aim and preparing for an attack. If that happens, the mission will become too difficult". The words burned his throat, but could not have been printed any more accurately on a textbook. It was a perfect, but inhuman answer.

Obito's face was taut with anger, "none of this involves Rin's safety! What if those two aren't going to look at this intelligently? Then what! It's more important to rescue Rin than to finish the mission". He stared stubbornly back at Kakashi, resistant to any vile logic that Kakashi had offered him.

"As a Shinobi… sometimes it's essential to sacrifice your companions for the accomplishment of the mission. That's a 'law'. If the mission fails, the war will continue and many more sacrifices occur". Kurotaka. Masurao. Akiraka. Otou-san.

"That's just speculation! Just for that, you'd simply throw away a companion who's been with you through thick and thin? One who saved our lives with her medical jutsu?"

"That was Rin's duty". So cold, yet within the ice was a shard of truth in the words. He stared blankly back at Obito, but somehow didn't even notice nor evade the arm sailing towards him. Obito's fist smacked Kakashi heavily on the jaw, sending him sprawling backwards through the sheer force of the blow. He fell limply, partially drained by his own words, partially stunned by the blow itself.

"I definitely can't stand you!" Obito's face contorted with fury, even as Kakashi stared expressionlessly back at him. "Whether you hate me or not, I'm still your commander".

"Then why do you refuse to help Rin? Only you have the strength to save your companion!" Obito was shaking him by the collar now, a fact only dimly registered by Kakashi's brain. It was all clamouring too heavily. He wanted to help, he had to help – but to abandon the mission would only mean suffering. He couldn't do it for Kuro, so he couldn't do it for Rin. "If you let your emotions run free and fail your mission, you'll regret it in the future. A Shinobi must kill his emotions; you must understand that too". He hissed the words as though expelling toxins from a wound.

Obito's face was awash with shock, anger and even a trace of sorrow. Kakashi continued, his eyes as cold and dead as stone. "The most important thing to a Shinobi is to be a tool in order to complete the mission. Emotions are unnecessary things". As his mouth released the words, images of his friends swam into his mind. He couldn't abandon his mission, not even for them. Whatever he was feeling for them, he couldn't let those feelings get before the needs of the village. That much had become clear to him.

"Do you seriously think like that?" Disbelief rode prominently in his voice, Obito's eyes searching Kakashi's face for some sign of emotion. He let none be shown. Kurotaka… what was he to do? What could he do?

"Yes, I do". Obito turned away, eyes scornful. "Those in the ninja world who break the rules and regulations are called trash. Of course I know that. But those who don't care about their companions are even worse trash". Kakashi stared at him, surprise now flooding into his own pupils. How could one so incompetent see things so easily?

"Anyway, if I'm that kind of trash, I'll break the rules! And if that's not being a true Shinobi, then I'll crush the ideal of being a Shinobi!" He paused, glancing back at Kakashi. "I think that the White Fang was a true hero". Those soft words alone riveted Kakashi to the spot, as though he had seized hold of an electrical cable with his bare hands. With that Obito stalked off, head high as Kakashi turned and staggered away in the opposite direction, eyes flooded with amazement. Numb, he slumped against the roots of the nearest tree, mind swimming with Obito's declarations and his own ponderings.

His father had abandoned a mission for the sake of his friends. He had been ostracized and eventually killed himself. Akiraka had been tortured to the point of madness, accepting her own demise as her righteous fate. He himself had faced the opportunity to run away and join his companions on the front lines, but he hadn't. Why? He had thrown away his affections, his compassion, purely because it was written on some dusty old scroll and upheld by those who had never had to utilise the principle. Obito had ignored it all. Obito, who cried in combat and had yet to awake his Sharingan. It was Obito who had realised the simplicity of the situation before he, Kakashi, the genius son of Konoha's White Fang, had even found an answer.

He blinked, eyes flicking from their glazed state. He had been a mindless drone for too long.

The woods flashed past him, sprinting through the scrub and nimbly dodging between randomised trees. A clearing was looming large, shouts and metallic clashes screaming in his sensitive ears. There was no way he was going to back down now. He leapt into the open. Obito was there, standing before Rin, bound and held in a Genjutsu even as another ninja materialised before him, ready to strike. A flood of adrenaline poured into his system and he leapt, drawing his katana as he did so.

With a shriek of pain, the ninja fell back as Kakashi vaulted clean over Obito's head, katana curved in a deadly downwards arc. Blood spurted between the ninja's armour and Kakashi straightened, standing before Obito. He could tell that the other Konoha Shinobi was staring at him incredulously. "Kakashi…why?"

"I can't trust a cry-baby ninja like you to do this yourself" He growled back in response, quietly thanking the other ninja in his mind. He wasn't quite willing to admit to Obito that he had been right just yet. Obito blinked and then steadied himself as their rival ninja dissolved into the background.

"A camouflage jutsu", Obito murmured. Kakashi glanced around. "Even the scent has disappeared". A movement near the ground behind Obito. He leapt, diving around Obito to counter the blow. A strike seemed to erupt from nowhere, he tried to counter, missed. Something slid through his skin, tearing his left eye and spurting forth a stream of blood. The pain was incredible, Kakashi falling back in shock. It felt as though the very pupil had been sliced in half, watery blood bubbling beneath the ruined lid. Obito knelt beside him, eyes watering. "Kakashi? Are you alright?" There was panic in his high voice.

Feeling as though the slightest movement would cause his eye to rupture, Kakashi gingerly responded. "This enemy is very skilled. Quickly. Dispose of the kunai with my blood on it". It would serve as a target at least. Obito still stood there, salty tears bleeding quietly from his own eyes. Kakashi sighed, glancing at him from his one good eye. "Something in your eye again? A Shinobi doesn't cry, besides, I'm not going to die yet". Obito pulled off his goggles and scrubbed at his damp cheeks, as Kakashi returned his attentions to their battlefield. "Don't let your guard down".

Suddenly though, as if in a daze, Obito had straightened. Kakashi stared curiously at him. Obito drew a kunai without warning, striking something unseen. A low cry issued from thin air. He had struck their enemy blindly? Kakashi started in surprise. Obito grinned. "I will protect my friends" he remarked, voice steadier than it had ever been. The eyes he turned to smirk at Kakashi with were the same bloody scarlet as Kurotaka's. Kakashi's good eye widened. At last Obito was coming into his own strength. "It's the Sharingan" murmured Obito in awe, "I can see the flow of Chakra". Kakashi nodded. This would be of exceptional use. "My own eye is useless", he commented dryly. "I can bind it up with bandages from Rin's medical pack, but we have to rescue her quickly!" Obito grinned, helping Kakashi to gently hide his eye behind a soft gauze wrap. It wasn't going to help much, but at least the bleeding would stop.

The one remaining opponent was crouched in front of Rin. It would seem that they had placed her under a jutsu in hope of drawing out information from her without too much effort. Both Kakashi and Obito stood side by side. He'd never approached an opponent in quite the same fashion. "We've already beaten one of them", Kakashi whispered, "but this one has high speed. We need to act carefully!" In an apparent contradiction to his words though, Kakashi surged forwards, Obito right at his heels. Their opponent dived, coming parallel with Obito's forward assault. The Sharingan widened. Even with his new ability, Obito was still hesitant. Kakashi swept in from above, katana drawn once again and flashed in a cutting arc. Not even wasting the momentum of his leap, Kakashi used the falling ninja's back as a springboard to get over to Rin.

Hands clutched in a seal, he broke her spell. Her eyes flew open, stunned to find Kakashi and Obito kneeling before her. "We've come to rescue you!" Obito gasped, breath heaving. Kakashi nodded, eyes bright. "Let's get out of here". Before he could turn to make good the statement though, a grinding of rock underfoot caught his attention. Behind them, their opponent was not so incapacitated as Kakashi had intended. His gravely tones caught Kakashi's attention, turning back in horror. "Indeed… that was a good combination attack, but you're still just brats". A toothy grin spread over his face, pale from blood loss. "You're now right in my hands".

"Doton! Iwa vado kuzushi!"

The rock face above them began to tremble. Kakashi cursed. An earth attack to loosen the boulders encroaching the area above them; at such a height and breadth they'd be difficult to avoid. "Quickly!" The group charged forwards, dodging the flying rubble and spinning boulders. Kakashi sprinted, however the loss of his left eye was making dodging a difficult procedure. Every swerve he made seemed to tae up more time and energy than he had to spare.

An almighty blow from nowhere. A dull, deadening pain on the side of his head. A rock had struck him in his blind spot! He could feel the numbness spreading as consciousness slipped away. The sandy ground raced up to meet him even as his eyes rolled to the back of his head. Rin and Obito's shouts of concern seemed far away, but he was forcing himself back into awareness. Now was not the time. They were going to be crushed to death if they stopped for him. Another pain. Something or someone had knocked him flying, sending him crashing into Rin. There was a tortured shriek, a deafening clatter and then nothing more.

Awareness slowly returned, precious seconds dragged out. Kakashi forced his right eye open, what had happened to Obito and Rin while he was out of it? He stared ahead, eye stretching in utter horror.

"Are you… ok? Kakashi…Rin…" Obito's voice heaved in strangled, dusty gasps, chest pinned beneath a massive boulder. Blood splattered the ground, mixing mustard coloured dust into sickly brown pools. Only the left side of his torso and face were visible, face wracked with pain and streaked with blood. His own blood. He had pushed Kakashi out of harm's way at the expense of his own life.

"Obito! Shit…" He was on his feet before he was certain of anything else. Fingers scrabbled underneath the massive rock, Kakashi threw his weight against it. Come on, move. Had to free Obito. Had to get him out of there. The wretched thing wouldn't budge, merely sending a shower of dust down to cloud in Kakashi's face, eye irritated and already threatening to water uncontrollably. Obito coughed.

"That's enough…it's ok Kakashi… I guess it's over for me. The right side of my body is almost smashed… there's no feeling in it". His voice was strained, matter-of-fact. Kakashi could not tear his eye away from Obito's own. He had done this. It was his fault that Obito had come to this. He sank to the ground, one fist beating the earth in a futile expression of exasperation. Rin shuffled to Obito's side, uncomprehending. "Obito…why…" Her face was a portrait of shock, tears building in pearly beads at the corners of her eyes.

"From the beginning… if I'd went along with you and rescued Rin, then none of this would have happened!" Kakashi's eye was screwed tightly shut, cursing himself over and over. Not again. Not another one to be lost. Akiraka's mind. Now Obito's life… He wouldn't stand for it any longer. There was no way that he was going to let this happen again. "What kind of a commander… what kind of Jounin…" He didn't deserve the honour with which he'd been saddled.

"Hey… no… forget it". Obito's voice stopped him. "I'm… the only one… who didn't give you a present… for becoming a Jounin". Kakashi stared at him in shock. Why think of that now? Was it delirium that came with blood loss?

"What would be good… I was thinking", Obito continued, "… and now I've come up with it… don't worry… it's not useless baggage". He stared Kakashi in the eye intently. "It's this Sharingan of mine".

…………

Four days ago it had all happened. Kakashi stood silently at the black marble monument at the edge of the training fields. He knew that one day his own name would probably be carved there, alongside all those other Shinobi whose lives were lost in the name of Konoha's security and innocent lives. Sometimes their bodies were never recovered. Some of them didn't eve have a true grave of their own. It was strange to see the words 'Uchiha Obito" carved there now. Strange to think that all of those years spent training together, competing and loathing each other's company had come to this. Despite all of his best efforts to look down on the "elite Uchiha" over the years, he now did the exact opposite. He had never had a friend quite like Obito, and probably never would. Even if he stopped coming to mediate at the memorial stone, he couldn't forget. Not when the permanently bloody eye stared back at him in the mirror. He had taken to covering it; not out of shame, but respect. That and the fact it drained his Chakra the instant it was uncovered. He had not mastered control of his unruly pupil quite yet.

Now what? The Third Hokage had honoured Obito and congratulated both Rin and Kakashi, but things would never be the same. Kakashi was not going to blindly follow orders any more. Obito had taught him the folly of those actions. It was time that he recognised his own emotions and used them as his strength.

Kakashi lowered himself gently onto the grass, staring quietly at the statue with his one black eye. "I'll never let my comrades die…" The words rolled softly off his tongue, and he knew that he'd be using them again.

"Kakashi-san?" A tentative voice trilled over the field. Kakashi inclined his head towards the sound. It was one of the Kunoichi from the Academy. She lived in the same building as Kurotaka. He rose lightly, brushing off the grass from his gi. "Hai?"

She strode swiftly over to him, one hand on her forehead to shield the sun from her eyes. "I just thought you should know that Yumenimo Kurotaka's back. She fell asleep in her doorway because she lost the keys on her last mission. I heard you asking after her the other day with Miss Shiro, the landlady".

Without even pausing to thank her, Kakashi sprinted off, heart pounding in his head. He loped through the winding streets, brushing past the crowds of villagers going about their daily affairs without a backwards glance. Someone might have called his name at some point, but he didn't stop to follow up the issue. Weaving through the sodden alleyways, he invented a shortcut to Kurotaka's apartment by hurdling a washing line, trespassing through three gardens and scaling a convenient pine tree in order to drop into the doorway. Thankfully the gargantuan Miss Shiro was nowhere to be seen. With a deft flick of his wrist he "unlocked" the doorhandle permanently and sprinted up the stairs. It occurred to him that he didn't actually know which floor Kurotaka lived on, however as a less-than-melodic drone of snoring filled his ears, he was left with few doubts.

Rounding the spiral staircase, taking each stair four at a time, Kakashi finally halted on the fifth floor, the polished wooden passage littered with grubby kunai, muddy clothing and a sleeping Kunoichi, curled up outside her door and snoring as though she hadn't slept for a month. Despite the fact that the amount of noise she was creating could have classified as noise pollution in a dodgy neighbourhood, Kakashi crossed the passage and scooped her up in his arms. Uncertainty was a thing of the past now.

Jerked from her noisy slumber, Kurotaka's midnight blue eyes blearily opened, bloodshot from sleep deprivation. She stared in wonder back at Kakashi, eyes half-open. "Kakashi-kun… what happened to your left eye?" He shook his head, silver hair falling into his original eye, however he was without a free hand to remove it. Kuro snickered, brushing it away for him. "Are you going to say anything to me?". Her hand rested on his shoulder, scratched in criss-crossed red patterns from an attack from some kind of shrubbery.

He blinked, words pelting across his brain from all angles. You care for her, you like her, you may even love her, you don't want her to be hurt, you want her to be happy. He stuttered. Which of these was right? One thought pressed him above them all. His iron ore pupil sought out her navy-blue, held it there and he spoke, voice soft and hesitant.

"I'm afraid I'll have to sit you down, all my scars are pulling and it hurts".

The fatigue in her eyes flashed, replaced with annoyance. "That's the best you can think of? Well I've missed you too Kakashi". She pulled herself out of his arms, stumbling back to the floor and standing up, glaring defiantly back at him. "What the hell were you thinking, picking me up like that if you're just going to dump me down again?" Her cheeks were flushed with embarrassment. He cursed himself. He'd come off wrong again. This time there was no room for error.

"Kurotaka…" She stopped and stared at him, one eyebrow arched haughtily. "What now, oh eloquent one?"

In one movement he stepped forwards, one hand rising to his mask and the other to her face. Her eyes widened in surprise as one fingerless-gloved hand rose to her eyes, only to stop and stroke the length of her cheekbone. Kakashi gritted his teeth nervously, then, before he could lose his nerve, swiftly pulled his mask down and caught her lips with his own. It was the single most terrifying moment of his life. Never mind the times when he'd been on the wrong end of a jutsu or knife; this one was much more frightening. His eye closed with embarrassment, mouth still on hers; warm and soft. It was a peculiar sensation, but not entirely unpleasant. Kurotaka seemed frozen in front of him, her own lips rigid. Neither of them seemed to know who should make the next move, who should relax first. Had he not been the one in the situation, Kakashi would have probably laughed at the ridiculousness of it all. He opened his eye nervously, only to see her own eyes closed, almost as if she were considering the act.

Then she opened them, pupils an unreadable smoky blue now. Kakashi broke the kiss, about to step back when she grinned at him. "You're still hopeless at expressing yourself". He hadn't noticed her arms that had snaked behind his head, and now caught him, fingers entwining themselves in his short silver tresses and pulling him towards her. She brought her mouth to his own and again, the warmth and softness of the contact, but this time also a certainty. She broke the contact briefly only to return to him, mouth opening slightly. He didn't know what possessed him, or what cue his mind took, but he responded by opening his own mouth and delicately tasting her lips. The tip of his tongue gently tracing the curve of her mouth, her own tongue coming to meet him in a similar embrace, then her mouth closing. Her eyes opened, glowing with warmth as they looked back into his own. His knees were as weak as if he had been running the full day, and judging by the shaking from Kuro's body, she was experiencing the same thing.

"Kakashi-kun", she savoured the word. "Far be it from me to take your place in the Inappropriate Commentary Stakes, but you happen to be both standing on my foot and just in front of my landlady".

…………….

Wild-filly: Hope you all enjoyed this chapter (apologies to those who have read the manga and tuned out for most of the chapter/didn't like my adaptation for the fanfiction) and with any luck I'll update soon.

Other news! Deviantart and I are no longer arguing! If you go to this link (remove the spaces) you will get to wild-filly's deviant art webpage and also find a coloured drawing of Kurotaka! More artwork will also be uploaded eventually, including some scenes from the fanfic. See you all soon! Please review!

www.wild-filly. 


	23. Chapter 22

Wild-filly: Yay! I'm officially unemployed! (pauses) Well… sort of anyway. Have applied to study Law and Arts at university next year, so my semi-student-drain-on-society tag will only last for about three months. But either way, I don't suppose many of you found that interesting in the slightest, so I'll cut to the chase (grins).

Many thanks to the following reviewers! "The one also known as frances", Andrea, hiddenwindmill, Tora Macaw, lucifer001, Hatake-Kakashix3, TEH NON-CONFUZZLED ONE! (good on you!), kimpster, "anonymous", TheDragonclawMistress, JapanAnimeGirl, Aisuhana and CripticWolf. Cannot thank you all enough for your encouragement. To TEH NON-CONFUZZLED ONE: yes, wild-filly does love horses strangely enough! She works her own horse at elementary level dressage and attributes her writing style to one-too-many blows to the head from aerobatic dismounts during competition (snickers).

Disclaimer: Still don't own Naruto, or more importantly, Kakashi… I have a new figurine though!

Oh yeah, the link I posted for the Kurotaka drawing didn't come up properly -- Shall try again now with spacing.

Ww w. wild - filly. devia ntart . co m that ought to work now

You wanted fluff, then we've got fluff! And dodgy humour. This chapter comes with a twist of lime at long last.

……………….

Okumen Gokurakuchou: Chapter 22

…………

Well, that was one way to end a romantic interlude without looking too foolish. Not that foolishness itself was entirely avoided. The gargantuan bulk of Miss Shiro quivered like a potentially dangerous jelly, eyes smouldering with ire-struck embers as she glared first at Kurotaka and then back at Kakashi. He couldn't decide which action he'd rather perform first: to bail out of the nearest (and probably self-invented) window, or see if she'd spontaneously combust from sheer rage. Both were exceptionally tempting, but for now he reserved his actions to removing himself from Kurotaka's foot and carefully stepping slightly behind her and out of harm's way. Kuro herself quietly composed her features and smiled innocently at the glowering landlady.

"It's alright Shiro-san. He wasn't trying to have his wicked way with me; we are on very good terms".

The older woman snorted, now appearing in Kakashi's fascinated eyes to be something of an angry draft horse; all bulk and hair and temper. "Be that as it were Yumenimo-san, but he broke into this place and I shall have to ask him to pay for the damages that he caused".

Kurotaka now stared at Kakashi in a most uncomfortably interested fashion. "You broke into the building for me?" The look of watery adoration she was demonstrating was quite unnerving and most inappropriate for their current situation. Kakashi nodded quickly and bowed his head to Miss Shiro. "I shall pay for the door right away. I apologise for the rudeness of my entry, but I was relieved to know that Yumenimo-san had returned from her mission".

A few coins changed hands, and Miss Shiro lumbered off, glancing back over her shoulder in a threatening manner every so often. "You'll obey the curfew here! No guests after 10pm, understand? If you're still in this building past then, I'll beat you black and blue with that broomstick again!" Kakashi winced and carefully waited until she had rounded the corner out of sight to reply. "Surely you wouldn't risk damaging your only means of transportation?"

Kurotaka snickered appreciatively. "Come on in". The missing key had been extracted from her pile of scattered and filthy belongings by one irritated landlady. With a clunk, she shoved open the heavy wooden door and staggered into the room, arms laden with piles of miscellaneous junk. Kakashi sidestepped inside rather nervously. He'd never been invited into a woman's house before… not that he would have envisaged one to be cobwebbed from ceiling to floor and liberally decorated with carelessly-flung clothing. It looked something more like his own quarters. To be fair though, Kuro did seem somewhat embarrassed by the state of her two-roomed flat.

"I left in a hurry, you know", she commented hurriedly, face slightly flushed as she dumped her bundles into the bathtub and hurriedly shut the bathroom door. "I wasn't expecting company when I returned either".

"That's quite alright" replied Kakashi nonchalantly. "This is what my place looks like after I HAVE cleaned up for company". Kurotaka's raised eyebrow made him hastily reword that phrase. "I mean when Masurao and such come around, I don't mean…"

"Don't worry about it", she waved him silent and sagged down onto the bed – possibly the only clean and neat area in the place. She patted the surface, inviting him to sit, which he did, hesitantly. There was nothing suspect in her eyes, but he couldn't help feeling a little odd. She must have caught the slightly panicked look in his eyes. "Don't worry, I'm not going to steal away your innocence. Not unless you ask very nicely, mind". Her expression turned wicked and for a moment he considered begging on one knee, but her face suddenly smoothed, concerned.

"Are you going to tell me what happened to your eye?" She tapped the side of her own left eye for emphasis. "You weren't injured during your last mission were you?"

"Well, actually… yes". He hesitated again. How to explain to her that they both now had something in common? He raised his hand to that forehead protector covering his pupil from view and gently pushed it back, eye closed. Her own eyes widened at the sight of the gash down the lids. But the shock that was writ on her face at the scar was nothing when he opened the eye, revealing a pupil the colour of blood, flecked with black.

"The Sharingan! How on earth?" She could hardly stutter the words, midnight blue eyes wide with horror. "You aren't of the clan?"

"No". He shook his head, eyes downcast. "This is the last gift of my team-mate Uchiha Obito. An attack ruined my own eye and another cost him his life. It was his dying wish to give this to me". Kurotaka rocked back, head bumping against the wall with a dull thud. "Incredible…"

He looked quickly up at her. "Are you alright with the fact that I have this? That I may use the Sharingan; one not even the member of the clan; while you may not?" She glanced back at him in surprise. "Me? Why should I have a problem with it? I just can't believe that you actually have the eye at all. Technically it should be useless to anyone without Uchiha blood in their veins…" She trailed off, comprehension dawning in her stunned eyes. "The blood transfusion I gave you…" Now it was Kakashi's turn to join in the amazement. It had never occurred to him that the eye shouldn't have worked for him after the transplant. Neither him nor Rin had taken this into account. What would have become of them if he hadn't been wounded and Kuro donated blood to fill his veins and fuel the Sharingan?

"Incredible" she murmured again. "You could get the eye removed, but I don't think you'll want to do that. Not after your Obito gave it to you. I can teach you how to use it, although I don't think that my blood alone will allow you to completely master it. You'll never be able to take the red colouration from it, but you will be able to utilise it properly in battle". Kakashi nodded, replacing the cover over his pupil. He could feel his Chakra swirling and pouring out of his body every second that it was uncovered. It was a feeling that he didn't, and would never enjoy. "I shall have to wear the eye-patch for life" he remarked without emotion. Kuro nodded in grim agreement. "It could be worse; he could have given you both eyes".

Now that would have been a sight. A blind ninja. It would have just been his luck as well. He had to grin behind the mask at that thought. Kurotaka smiled encouragingly. "I'm sorry that you lost him. He must have been a truly great friend to give you such a gift". Kakashi nodded, unable to speak. Obito was probably the greatest friend he'd ever had, or so it would seem. Not that Kuro would like to hear that. She was of a different level to friend, however.

Keen to change the subject to matters less painful, Kakashi queried, "and how was your own mission?" Kuro grimaced. "Not so great. Things are a colossal mess up on the frontlines; no one knows where to start and when to stop. Thankfully the majority of my sub-missions were small and the fighting eased off. Since I fell into the category of expendable ninja; no one knows about the Sharingan, see; I was sent home with the rest". There was a note of viciousness in her voice. Bitter that she couldn't even fight as an equal alongside Konoha's most talented Shinobi: not where legitimate Uchiha warriors could recognise her ability, but not her parentage.

Kakashi muttered under his breath. "They wouldn't even be grateful of your abilities on the battlefield?"

Kuro shrugged. "I daresay they would be, but for now I'm not wanted. The Hokage knows what I can do, so until he gives me the order, I don't move". She gazed appraisingly at Kakashi. "I suppose I could use this time to train you how to use your troublesome gift". Kakashi nodded shortly. He had a funny feeling that this would prove both practical and unpleasant at the same time. It had taken Obito that long to master the Sharingan, but the actual use of the eye was quite different to the process used for gaining it. He was willing to bet as well, that Kurotaka was not one to make education an enjoyable process. But for now he had something else on his mind.

"Ah, Kuro…" Kakashi fumbled over the words. How would he put this to her? She looked at him questioningly, eyes carefully unreadable. Honestly… he knew what the answer would be, so why was he so uncertain about asking?

"…would you be willing to go out for dinner with me?" To his amazement and no small delight, she suddenly blushed; skin flushing a deep crimson. It was as if she had forgotten their not-so-subtle greeting only a while earlier. Pulling herself together, she nodded, eyes shining. "Where will we go?"

Damn. He should have thought about this one before asking it. Panic crawled through his bones, sending nasty shivers down his spine. "Ne… do you have a preference?"

"Not really, I'm not that hungry. How about we just grab some ramen and go for a wander?"

And that was that. He'd asked a girl out on his first date. And not just any girl, but a girl who had knocked him unconscious, screamed bloody murder at him, insulted his intelligence and owned a pet seagull that had a list of grudges held against him.

What a beautiful life he led…

………………

Kakashi had never realised how wonderful Konoha looked at night. Strings of bright paper lanterns were strung between the tall, softly coloured buildings, glowing with gentle light that complimented the clear, star stained night sky above them. Despite the fact that the nation was at war, the people of Konoha were determined to keep up a brave face and act as normal as possible. Night market stalls bubbled with life, continuing to flaunt their wares and beckon shoppers to come nearer to their treasure troves. Kurotaka seemed as cheerful as he'd ever seen her, one pale hand looped under his arm and a light spring in her step. The way that she stared down other Kunoichi gave him the impression that she was leading him around like a tall, grey, prize-winning horse. Mine. Watch and envy. Not that he minded that in the slightest. Besides, if he had then she would have probably risen to the occasion and bought a leash and collar to accent the mood. She possessed a truly evil sense of humour at times.

"Oh yes, I remember now!" Her exclamation caught Kakashi off-guard. Cautiously he turned to her, "precisely what do you remember?"

She grinned. "Remember how your book voucher was ruined by the waterfall ages back? I promised you that I'd get you a book after we got back, but I never got round to it". He stared in amazement. "It's no huge matter" he protested, "besides, isn't it traditional for the man to buy gifts?"

She snorted at him. "And this effects us how? I want to buy you a book, so let's just leave it at that". Kuro ran her eyes down his face. "I think you need to broaden your mind a little regarding tradition, Kakashi-kun". With that, she whirled away and disappeared into the throng of late-night shoppers. Kakashi now noticed that many of them were in a similar situation to he, with loved ones at their sides and pretending not to know of the war that was going on. It was less crowded than normal: a sign that not all of the couples and groups of friends living in Konoha were still in the village, leading their normal lives. Lives that Obito would never have. A lump caught in Kakashi's throat, but he forced it down. Now was the time for life, not dwelling in sorrow.

A few minutes of aimless browsing passed and Kuro had returned, a paper bag clutched to her chest and huge grin spread over her face. His eyes creased into a smile. "You were gone for a while" he commented as she rushed over to his side. She smiled conspiratorially "this took a while to find. It's the latest book written by one of the Legendary Sennin".

"A training manual? Thank y…" His words froze as he pulled off the paper and stared at the front cover. Icha Icha Paradisu. He stared at her incredulously. "You're actually encouraging me to read this sort of material?" he asked accusingly. She just smiled. "You need to relax a little Kakashi. I thought that you might enjoy reading this for a bit of enjoyment. You never know; maybe it is a training manual…" Kakashi was certain that the flush of his cheeks must have spread to his forehead, for if possible, her grin seemed even more vampirically evil.

"Thank you dearest, thank you indeed" sarcasm rolled off his tongue and she frowned mockingly. "Now, now Kakashi, if you don't like it then you can just take it back. I'm sure that wouldn't be too embarrassing for you". He glared at her and tucked the book into one of his kunai pouches. "I'll be fine. Come on. Let's find someone else for you to antagonise".

"And ruin my fun?" A mocking whine flooded her voice as Kuro shuffled to keep up with Kakashi's mock-indignant stalk. "But you're so much fun Kakashi, I can't get as good a reaction out of anyone as I do from you…"

"Keep this up and you'll get a very different kind of reaction from me". Kurotaka took the time to blush now, as Kakashi noted with satisfaction. It was nice to have the game on an even stance. For all of Kuro's bluffs, she too was as unsure of herself as he. Except that she was better at covering it up. They swiftly reached the ramen stand and were digging into two deep bowls of the steaming noodle broth. Kurotaka ate as though famished; which in hindsight, she probably was. Kakashi ate in his standard rapid fashion, partly out of habit and partly to watch her eat since he knew that she'd find it unnerving.

"What is this, a zoo? Look somewhere else before I start charging by the minute". Her irritated retort was mumbled around a mouthful of chopsticks and noodles. Kakashi grinned infuriatingly. "Where would you have me look? There are so many places to choose…"

"Then how about in your skull for the lone brain cell that you occasionally call on?"

"Ah, but I can do that anytime. This on the other hand, I cannot". She didn't seem to know how to respond to that, instead choosing to poke his cheek with the end of one chopstick and continue eating, making a pointed display of not paying attention to him. "Why do you eat so fast anyway? Weird metabolism?"

"Hn… not really. Mostly just so that people don't see my face".

"What's wrong with me seeing it? I didn't manage to get a good look at it earlier, since my short distance sight isn't THAT good"".

"Nothing, nothing at all. I just don't like the genera public seeing it. It makes me feel… vulnerable. Naked".

"Well then, we can't have you dining naked then, can we?" She grinned at him and sat down her bowl. "Let's go for a walk. I want you to pretend to know something about the stars".

He couldn't help it. His eyes bent into a smile and took her hand in his. "I'm not as good as you at pretending things. Why don't you try this time?"

She shook her head. "Call it training in the art of deception. You do it and I'll give you a grade afterwards".

The two wandered out of the lights of the village and to the relative peace of the training arenas; generally empty, save for the occasional hard-core ninja or training class for Academy students. Kakashi led Kuro over to one lone patch in the middle of the field, whereupon he sank to his knees and sat, cross-legged on the grass. She obliged and curled up beside him, head leaning against his shoulder in an amiable, sleepy kind of way.

"Kakashi… your astronomy knowledge isn't bad, but your delivery is terrible. I memorised the exact same pages as you, but at least I don't have to pause for the page turning in your mind!"

"I'm terribly sorry", he murmured, lowering his head down to hers, brushing lips still hidden by the mask over her forehead. "However can I redeem myself?"

She looked up, eyes mischievous but also oddly sincere. "Let me take off your mask". Kakashi closed his eyes for a moment and then opened them, fixing his one dark pupil on her own dark blue irises. She reached up with one hand, fingers delicately tracing the line of his cheekbones and then trailing, slowly coming to rest on the bridge of his nose. Her ring finger tucked softly under the fabric and pulled, gently easing the fabric down as though teasing open a flower's petal. Her eyes only left his to drink in the sight of each centimetre of flesh being exposed; drinking as a woman dying of thirst would. At last she rolled the skin-tight fabric down to his neck, curling up like a turtleneck. Kakashi stared sombrely back at her.

She said nothing. Eyes filled with the paleness of him, glowing faintly in the darkness, lit by the generous full moon. Both hands rose to cup his chin, fingers stroking the lines of his face, now revealed to bear features chiselled and soft, long protected from the elements. His lips twitched as she traced them. It was odd to feel the wind's kiss on his cheeks, odd to be exposed. To have been exposed, willingly by someone. Kurotaka's eyes gradually returned to his own, filled with something so quietly powerful that it made him catch his breath.

"Kakashi". The voice that carried his name to his ears was filled with a power that he had never heard. It was commanding and gentle, quiet and yet singing in his head as though shrieked to the skies. Kurotaka's fingers knotted themselves behind his head, her pale nose brushing the tip of his own, black locks twisting in the wind to spill not only over her own shoulders, but his.

"I want you to promise me. Promise me that you will not let any other woman, or anyone else, if you can help it, see this face". Her eyes were watery, almost as though she were about to start crying. One tear in fact, one small tear did spill, trailing down her face with a salty trail in its wake. Kakashi lowered his lips and caught it, warm and moist on his lips and her jowl. He slowly traced its path back up to her eye, gently kissing each centimetre as he passed. When he reached her eye, she closed it for a moment and he kissed the fluttering lid as softly as he could, before pulling back to watch her again.

There was something so urgently selfish in the request that she was making. Something that meant a lot more than letting anyone see his face. Not just his face, but this side of him. Never let anyone else get as close to him as she was now. She was asking him to accept her ownership of him. Her love of him. He felt as though his heart were in his throat and about to leap from his skin. She was staring at him so earnestly, so vulnerably. In awe of the raw emotion before him, Kakashi's breath came in ragged gasps as he opened in his mouth.

"Always. I promise you. Always". The smile that lit up her face could never be burned from his brain. All at once his mouth was on hers, kissing with a tenderness that was only a mere droplet of the ocean of feelings that roared and rushed in his hazy mind. Anyone could have ambushed them now and hell, he couldn't have cared less. He'd have given them the keys to his apartment and told them to take out the rubbish. Kurotaka's heart was thundering on his chest, body warm as she pushed herself against him. Their kisses so gentle at first now took on a heat, foreign yet natural. A great hunger welled in Kakashi; a hunger to be both with her now and forever. His arms tangled themselves around her, pulling her so close that he could hardly breathe, hands twisted in the silken coils of her hair. Her fingers massaged circular patterns into his shoulder blades, mouth insistent, needy on his own.

Her tongue traced the rims of his lips and he opened his mouth, granting her access. They embraced internally, Kakashi exploring the crevices of her teeth with a vague interest. One of them had been knocked out in a fight at some point. He'd been lucky in that case, as she was discovering. He broke the kiss and moved to her forehead, showering her face with kisses on every inch of skin that he could find as she dipped her head lower, nuzzling into his neck. A deep moan forced itself from his throat, Kurotaka's hands busy at his neck, pulling away the tight fabric to expose his pale throat and shoulders. How she had got to him so quickly confounded Kakashi. Her teeth grazed his neck, nipping his skin and driving a growl from the pit of his lungs. Shudders rolled over his spine and he threw his head in the air, gritting his teeth against the cry that battled to break free from his mouth. He dove, pulling apart the white collar of Kuro's kimono and kissing her neck, choosing one spot and sinking his teeth gently onto the smooth skin. She buckled under him and sank to the grass, Kakashi falling on top of her suddenly sprawled form. He continued the aggressive embrace, her light, urgent kisses falling like warm snowflakes on his cheek and brow. His mind was a warm, light fog. Nothing mattered now except being close to this wonderful woman with him and having her gasp with pleasure at his touch.

Hands tangled behind her now came forward, tracing her face as his mouth returned to hers, her fingers caught in his bangs as she forced his attentions back to her eyes. The midnight blue seemed to have lightened, filled with an emotional overload that he had never seen before in anyone. His fingers moved lower, stroking the proud arch of her jaw and delving still lower, to trace her collarbone and tease her gaping neckline lower still. Kakashi dropped his head, kissing the supple skin of her neck and shoulders now exposed, even as Kurotaka sighed and ran her fingers, claw-like through his hair. A binding of clean white bandages bound her ample breasts, and in his emotion-fuelled state, Kakashi was perplexed as to how he would approach it. His hands alternated between stroking curving patterns into her pale skin and moving to cup her breasts.

Kurotaka seemed to sense his dilemma, for her moved her own hands down to catch his own, guiding them to her back and forcing them to untie the flat knot that bound them. She grinned down at him, whispering mockingly. "You really should have studied that book I gave you".

Kakashi stared defiantly back at her, lips tugged into a smile. "Is that a challenge? I'm a genius remember… let's see how far natural talent goes". With that he deftly pried the wraps from her chest and took her mouth again, aware of her own hands exploring the rifts in his gi, prying it off. He shrugged the thing off, uncaring of the chill of the weather around them. He drew his mouth back and lower, to kiss her exposed breasts, skin pocked with goosebumps in the cold. Patiently his lips nursed them smooth, fingers weaving complex patterns into her skin. He didn't know when the rest of their clothing abandoned them. The ease with which it did made him suspect Kurotaka's aptitude with a kunai, but he really didn't care. She threw him off of her, rolling to take position on top of him, grinning down at him with her nose brushing his. Kakashi smiled back, throwing her off balance until a veritable game developed of it, both trying to pin the other. At last Kakashi lay still, breath heaving with laughter.

"You win, fine!" He laughed as Kurotaka punched the air in triumph, body starkly white against the night sky, etched into the stars like a goddess from an ancient painting, lavishly inked by an artist with more time than social life. She grinned down at him, eyes dancing with playful mock-contempt. "I am now obliged to take my prize" she gloated. Kakashi rolled his eyes, "do I have to pretend that I'm not enjoying it then?"

"No", she whispered, mouth nuzzling at his ear as she nipped the soft lobe. "I order you to".

"As my lady commands…" Kakashi grinned back at her and the two united. It was something completely unlike any other feeling he had ever experienced. It wasn't that it was surreal, but that it was brutally, naturally, real. So close to reality that it almost disturbed him to be taking a relationship previously so private and verbal, emotional, to physical, even crude terms. There was no mistaking it though; it filled him with an intense feeling of both relief and joy; joy to be with a woman so dear to him that had offered herself to him, soul and body. Kuro's eyes seemed to be clouded with something, so he rose up and embraced her more closely, mouth layering gentle kisses on her cheeks and whispering in her ear. He didn't register any of what he said. His mouth simply released the words from his brain without benefit of an editing. Frowning slightly, sweat beaded in crystalline drips on her brow, Kuro smiled at him and lowered her lips back to his and together they farewelled the night to welcome the dawn.

……………..

Light filtered between Kakashi's eyes too soon for his body's taste, muscles drained of energy after their romp in the early hours, but at the same time a feeling of intense euphoria still smouldered in his core. Morning's cool breeze chilled him, but at his side Kurotaka was still curled, black locks curled over his own chest. She was so pale, so vulnerable in the early light and in sleep. He thought sleepily to himself that she was the most achingly beautiful person that he had ever seen. The most incredible person that he had ever met. The steady rise and fall of her chest threatened to lull him back into sleep, but his consciousness was returning after its brief vacation the previous night. They were both lying, completely naked, in the open, in the middle of one of the training fields used by Academy students who still hadn't had "the talk" yet. Now was not a good time to be caught sleeping off the aftermath of the best night of his life in the middle of a training field.

Not wanting to wake the slumbering Kuro, Kakashi carefully eased himself his feet, sighting their pile of discarded clothing and hastily scrambling over to it, replacing his gi with the greatest speed that he had ever managed. Dignity restored, he scooped up Kuro's clothing and began to walk back over to her. Then he stopped. Blood. There was blood on her kimono. Had he hurt her? Never!

Anxiously he jogged over to where she was still curled, sleeping in the tussocks of wiry grass. Sure enough, he could see smears of blood dappling the grasses where she lay. He sank to his feet in horror. What had he done? He stared hopelessly at Kuro, still blissfully lost in dream and tucked into a ball to conserve heat. There didn't seem to be any visible wound on her, but perhaps she was curled into a ball out of pain. He groaned, head sinking into his hands as guilt washed over him. A monster. That was all he was. He had sworn his heart to a girl and hurt her in the same night.

A particularly strong breeze ripped through the clearing, forcing a shiver from Kurotaka and her eyes to flutter open. She blinked. Obviously confused about the presence of grass so close to her vision. She glanced up at Kakashi, staring mournfully down at her, his face unhidden by the mask.

"Whatever is the matter?" She yawned, eyes betraying her concern. "Are you alright?"

He laughed evasively. "Am I alright? I'm sorry Kurotaka… I seem to have hurt you, and am utterly disgusted at myself". The confusion in her face brought a shadow of doubt to his eyes. Surely the blood was hers? Then comprehension rose to her eyes and she laughed shortly, shaking her head. "Don't worry about that Kakashi. It was my first time, that's all". The blank look on his face forced another laugh from her. "You didn't know? Women bleed when they first make love". Kakashi stared at her with a combination of horror, disgust and fascination, unable to voice an intelligible response.

Kurotaka chuckled, taking her bundle of clothing from Kakashi's numb grasp. "You really are naïve… I guess the Academy didn't give you a very thorough version of 'the talk'". Kakashi shook his head, still numb with disbelief. "Then I didn't hurt you…?"

"Not really, but it was painful. I'll be fine though. Don't look so worried! You scored well, 8 out of 10, but you could do with some work".

"Just 8?" Kakashi mustered the resolve to look affronted. "I thought that I deserved at least a 9 for that performance, considering where we were".

"A 9, Kakashi? You'll have to work a LOT harder for that, but I'm still open to bribery if you want that mark changed later".

"This isn't fair. Surely I can resit the test?"

"Later. Those are Academy students approaching and I can't get this bloody bandage back where it should sit".

……………….

Wild-filly: 'Tis nice to be back to writing… that was a little fluff/lime for those of you who have been waiting for it. I hope it was worth the wait (grins) Please review!


	24. Chapter 23

Wild-filly: Ah yes… sorry about the update slump (sheepish grin). Was attending my uncle's wedding, got shipped out to Hong Kong for a holiday and was also outrageously sick with flu (sickest I've ever been to be honest) for ages… what can I say? Oh yeah, that and I was terminally lazy with all of my writing and drawing projects (embarrassed grin).

Many thanks to everyone who reviewed – your comments and kind words make it all worthwhile! Thanks go to JapanAnimeGirl, Tora Macaw, hiddenwindmill, nobody, Andrea, YamiKitsuneKami, Hatake-Kakashi x3, Naditz, Matt and T.K., kimpster, MicrosoftWord, Teh non-confuzzled one (thanks for the offer of dinner rolls – I certainly do feel loved now (grin)) and Hanariko!

Disclaimer: Don't own, so don't sue. MORE SPOILERS AHEAD! (coughs) Sorry about the shouting – I know that most people skip over this part, so I have to make I obvious (grins)

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Okumen Gokurakuchou: Chapter 23

……………..

Kakashi still didn't know what to make of life. Everything had somehow fallen into place. The feeling of almost dazed contentment made everything else seem distant and irrelevant to his being. The days seemed to tick past lazily, with Kurotaka seldom far from his side. A cynical little voice in the back of his head told him that his infatuation would not continue like this forever, but it was being beaten up by the delighted chorus of other miscellaneous voices that were clamouring in Kakashi's head. For the first time since before his father's death he felt truly happy. He was with someone who loved him dearly and who wanted to spend the rest of her life with him.

"Kakashi! Where the hell is my hairbrush? If I find silver hair on it again there'll be trouble, I promise you!"

Ah yes, it was so nice to be with someone so loving, benevolent and compassionate.

"Try behind the dresser, you probably knocked it off the last time you threw your hair pins contemptuously at my reflection in the mirror".

The tousled head of Yumenimo Kurotaka emerged from the tiny kitchen space of Kakashi's miniscule flat, now looking somewhat worse for wear now that Kuro was temporarily crashing here. Miss Shiro had made it very obvious that Kakashi's presence was about as popular as a plague of silver-haired locusts back at Kurotaka's lodgings, so she had taken to staying over at his place, since the security was much more lax. The only problem with this otherwise pleasant situation? Cabin fever.

"I can't stand this! How can I lose something in a home the size of a cupboard?"

"Special kind of talent?" Kakashi suggested weakly, dodging the pair of socks that came flying his way in response. He was getting better at this living with Kuro business. And her aim was improving as a result. It seemed to be serving as additional Shinobi training as well as being gratifying to their now grudgingly recognised affections for each other. Well, Kakashi wasn't so grudging. In Kurotaka's case however, this idea of showing affection for someone consistently appeared to be a rather difficult task for her to pull off. Kakashi wasn't too offended. It kept life interesting.

From where she was now rifling through a pile of newly-ironed clothing, still on the quest for the illusive brush, Kurotaka's muffled voice caught Kakashi's sleepy attention. "So when are we to report for a new mission? Did the Hokage tell you when you should come back to him?"

"No, he didn't". He didn't want to put a date on mourning, mused Kakashi. "I guess I'll just turn up when you do. If there were anything urgent then we'd have been summoned any way".

"You're pretty lax towards this whole multi-nations war thing aren't you, Kakashi?"

"Only on my days off. I'm not paid to be worried then". Kurotaka's snort was cut off by a triumphant shriek. "Found it!"

"And just what was it doing in my left shoe?" queried Kakashi, perplexed. Kurotaka shrugged. "It must have been some hit to get it to fly off that far" she commented cheerfully, seemingly forgetting that she had launched said hit at Kakashi's visage in the first place. Ah well. The love was there. Somewhere. At least she'd recovered the spiky item before he'd attempted to place his foot inside the aforementioned black ANBU boot. Combing through her hair absentmindedly, Kuro turned to him. "In that case, do you fancy going for a walk to the training grounds? It'd be good idea to get back into serious training before being sent on a mission".

"Hai, I suppose". Inwardly Kakashi sighed. He still had a lot of getting used to ahead of him, as far as his new eye went. Kurotaka had been telling him everything she knew about the usage and logistics of the actual pupil, but listening and acting were two very different things. Hauling himself off the bed, which served as an island in a sea of take-away boxes and misplaced items belonging to both parties, Kakashi recovered his footwear and leapt nimbly over to the bare space of floor beside the door. Kurotaka hopped gingerly beside him. "Open the door would you? I don't want to balance on one foot for longer than is truly necessary".

"But of course. I shall open the door at once, your Majesty".

"Then do it. It's nice to see that you have the situation thoroughly comprehended at last".

Damn it. It was supposed to be him teasing her; not the other way around.

……………………

Opening the Sharingan eye was like opening the lid on a bottle and upending it; Kakashi's Chakra seemed to spill and swirl uselessly, flooding away from him every second that the pupil was exposed. He hated the sensation. There was no control involved at all and it left him feeling exhausted after every session. Sinking to one knee, breath coming in heaving gasps, he glared blearily at Kurotaka who stood nonchalantly before him.

"You are getting better you know" she coaxed. "It's an odd feeling to get used to, but eventually you'll learn to regulate your Chakra flow better and control the eye's usage. It'll be harder for you because you're not one of the Clan. The fact that you weren't the one who awakened the eye in the first place also makes it harder".

"I know. You keep saying". Teeth gritted, Kakashi dragged himself back onto his feet and stood shakily before the Uchiha Kunoichi. She stared coolly back at him. "I keep saying, Kakashi-kun, because you look like you need the reassurance that it isn't your fault that you're so drained".

It was true; he did feel foolish. After only half an hour of exercises – anticipating Kurotaka's attacks and countering them using only the Sharingan eye, he felt as though he'd been running for days. Every muscle shook and that treacherous eye of his flickered, as though hungry for yet more power to feed on, sucked greedily from his body. What made it worse was to see Kuro use the eye herself and effortlessly counter any attack that he put forward; keeping her pupils bloody even when he was forced to cover his eye to take a rest. Kakashi was used to being a genius; a talented Shinobi to whom new concepts and moves came easily. Now he was feeling like a moron; clumsy and without restriction, training or energy. It was not a pleasant feeling for one who is used to being the best.

"Don't give up now", she demanded, stalking over to where he was crouched. "If you don't push yourself until you literally have nothing left, then you'll never learn how to stop it from taking you that far".

"So what you're saying", muttered Kakashi, air weighing more heavily in his lungs than usual, "is that if I work myself to the ground each time, I'll eventually learn to avoid the ground?" At her nod, he closed his eyes. Which sadistic person designed that crude logic? He sighed and rose slowly to his feet, opening both eyes determinedly. If that was how it was to be, then so be it. He could take a few more strikes, he could calculate that much from his current status, but after that he risked losing consciousness. Not ideal. The Uchiha blood that Kuro had given him simply wasn't enough to allow him the same level of control that she had.

All it meant was that if he used the eye, he had to use it quickly and to his best advantage. For now.

Sliding into the cat stance, Kakashi let his breath slow, relaxing through his upper body and attempting to quell the weariness that came with Chakra drainage. He had to conserve energy if this next move were to work. Kurotaka frowned, stance lowering slowly, her muscles rippling as though water under her skin, blessed with a natural fluidity of movement. Then she sprang. Kakashi felt his bloody eye spark into action. She was coming in from the left, a mawashigeri jodan aiming right for his head. He dodged nimbly under it, rising to counter with an elbow strike, but she too read his move and leapt easily to one side. He moved in again, feinting left and then charging straight for her. She leapt again, sending a barrage of shuriken flying towards him. Katana instantly drawn, he deflected those that he could not dodge and sprang after her.

Blood pounded in his head, roaring in his ears as he continued this leaping, dodging dance of attack and counter-attack. Kakashi was already adept at anticipating moves, but the eye was giving him an even greater scope. The slightest twitch of a muscle and the pupil saw it. His own reflexes seemed to boil and writhe with speed that they had never known before. It was exhilarating. Exhausting, but the thrill of the chase was intoxicating. A new fire was racing through his veins, fatigue pushed to one side. His leg rose, arching into a hook-kick, when Kurotaka's eyes seemed to flare anew. Chakra flooded to her hands and she thrust them towards his incoming leg. Hastily he redirected his kick, swerving just out of the way as a strike that would have temporarily crippled him shot towards him.

Both Shinobi skidded to a halt, breath heaving. Kakashi felt the tiredness that he had been ignoring come swirling down around him, blinking back the darkness that clawed at his vision. He eyed Kurotaka appraisingly. "It's time to use proper techniques now?"

She grinned, combing back a white-tipped bang from her forehead. "Indeed. Much better Kakashi. We can start learning how to mimic attacks once you can stand up straight".

"I thought I was…" Kakashi trailed off. He hadn't noticed one of his legs sinking to the ground without his consent. Hurriedly he pulled his forehead protector over the Sharingan eye. Why hadn't he felt himself slide? Kurotaka ambled over to him, eyes darkening back to their normal blue. She reached down with one arm and hauled him to his feet amiably, not at all surprised when he staggered and threatened to fall over.

"Honestly Kakashi. It's like training with a small child at the moment".

And there went all sense of achievement. He gritted his teeth. "Your flattery will get you nowhere. Just for that, you're paying for lunch".

"Now that's hardly gentlemanly behaviour" commented Kurotaka wryly, as the two began their march across the training field, heading back to the village, Kakashi propped up under one of Kuro's arms. "How could you resign me to such a terrible fate?"

"Because you are having entirely too much fun being the instructor and laughing at my pain".

"You think that was laughing? I'll have you know that I was suppressing my laughter for the good of your feelings. I thought that I was being very considerate".

"Truly? Then why did you tell me this? If you were so set on being considerate, then you should have kept me in ignorance". Each word seemed to take an eternity to say, as exhaustion from combined exertion and Chakra drain took a more poignant hold. Kuro rolled her eyes. "But then you wouldn't appreciate how considerate I was!"

"I give up. Your logic eludes me". Kakashi let his eyes close in mock and true weariness. Her dry chuckle did not escape him though. "Tell me about it. Sometimes even I don't know what to make of my actions".

……………

The days seemed to drag past, as each training session became more and more gruelling. Kurotaka was indeed a relentless instructor, pushing Kakashi to the point of collapse from Chakra drainage with every lesson. He was improving in leaps and bounds, but he couldn't help but wonder if all this exhaustion and degradation of his health was going to be worth the prize; wielding of the Sharingan's powers.

Despite his great fatigue, sleep came fitfully. His mind was plagued by stray, nagging thoughts of unreal circumstances. Nightmares, perhaps; but more distant and persistent than mere hollow images of fearful imaginings. More than once he had awoken in a cold sweat in the small hours of the morning, mind haggard from the stress of some intangible idea. Kurotaka did not mention his nightly trouble in the mornings, but would turn quietly in her sleep to close her arms protectively around his chest. It was not much, but it was comfort enough to reassure him and allow some semblance of sleep to take hold.

Kakashi couldn't put a name to the cause of his unease, but finally decided that it must come with the awakening of a power that he was never meant to inherit. There were secrets that he still had to unlock regarding the eye. Perhaps these malevolent thoughts were preludes to what may come. That or the stress was just getting to him. He was becoming more enduring, more resistant to the effects of the Sharingan's Chakra drain, but it was a hard-won gain. Hopefully the weapon would prove itself of use on the battlefield; otherwise all of his struggles would have been in vain. Or maybe not.

It was late afternoon. The sunset's blazing amber and dusky pink filled the sky as Kakashi sank to his knees for some offensively high number of times in a row. Kurotaka stood panting before him, her own energies becoming stretched with the number of frequent sessions. Kakashi felt a vague tinge of pleasure at the idea that he was improving enough to make the more experienced Kunoichi break a sweat. With a wide yawn, she slumped down beside him on the grass. "That'll be enough for today I reckon. I'm still pissed off that you could replicate my Chakra prison technique though. I thought that I did it too fast for you to follow!"

"Hai, ideally, yes". Kakashi nodded conspiratorially. "However you forget that I have seen it once already. The second time and the eye just confirmed which seals I had to use in order to activate it". Kurotaka muttered under her breath and sighed irritably. "Fine. I should be proud that my teaching skills are so good, I suppose". Silence enveloped them, broken only by the distant sounds from the village as shops began to close and the night-markets light their lanterns. The white, ghostly form of Kurotaka's pet seagull drifted above the two Shinobi, seated amiably on the short grass of the otherwise empty field. Kakashi felt his one exposed eye close slightly. Life always seemed so much more peaceful after a training session. Kurotaka's back was leaning against his shoulder, as she faced the thick forest surrounding them.

"What do you reckon that Masurao and Gai are doing now?" She queried lazily, one hand combing absent-mindedly through her thick black and white ponytail.

Kakashi blinked. "Still off on their mission, so I couldn't say. I don't reckon that they're on the frontlines though. They aren't experienced enough as Jounin for that". It then occurred to him that he hadn't seen their fellow Jounin for some time. He missed Masurao's company and the small joys that came from tormenting Gai, even though Kurotaka's presence had been enough to satiate his desire for companionship.

Kurotaka yawned. "They should be fine then. They'll probably be sent back soon, and us sent to take their place". She winked at Kakashi cheerfully, "it'll be nice to fight side-by-side again". But there was something else behind her eyes. A concern that Kakashi couldn't miss. She was worried about him. Just as he was worried about her. Fighting alongside someone meant that you were consistently aware of whether or not they were safe. It was a situation that Kakashi had always tried to distance himself from – it was easier to complete a mission if you did not have excessive emotional attachments to your comrades; that way you could press on and succeed in the task which you were assigned to fulfil, rather than languish in sorrow should they fall. Could he fight effectively, knowing that Kurotaka also fought for her life nearby? Could she?

She seemed to follow his train of thought. "We can both stand up for ourselves, Kakashi. It's not that being together makes us any weaker in a fight. If anything, it could work to our advantage". He shook his head. "It's not that. We're both ninja; the battlefield is our natural environment, but I'd rather…" He trailed off as she glared at him. "I am not going to stay safe just so that you don't feel as though you have to keep an eye on me! I am perfectly capable of fighting my own battles, if anything it's you that I'm worried about! You haven't complete mastery of the Sharingan and if…" This time it was she who was cut off, as Kakashi pivoted and drew her close to him, his face lowered to fit in the groove of her neck and collarbone.

"It's a stupid thought. I know. Don't be hurt by it. I don't want to worry you". His voice was soft, expression unreadable. Kurotaka's lower lip quivered, but she bit it and entwined her own arms about Kakashi's head. "Don't worry about me. I know you didn't mean it like that". Long fingers filtered through chunks of silver hair, gently massaging Kakashi's temples. He sat perfectly still, unwilling to break their contact despite the fact that his back was killing him in this position. She held him quietly, bringing her lips down to gently kiss his forehead, moving his headband out of the way and holding one hand over the Sharingan eye. Her breath tickled his face, despite the fact that his mask covered the majority of it.

"Kakashi" she murmured, "the battlefield is our home for now. Wait until the war is over before you ask that we quit it". She leant her head on his shoulder, now sitting perfectly level with him.

Kakashi was silent for a moment. "You would leave this with me?"

She looked at his one uncovered eye, expression stern. "You weren't thinking of leaving me after this, were you?"

"Never crossed my mind" he assured her, mind swimming with the implications of what she had said. "But Kuro, you said that we should quit the battlefield. You mean that we both leave this behind? Together?"

"That's what 'we' usually means, Kakashi-kun. Perhaps I hit you a bit too hard earlier…"

He shook his head, dismissing the idea. His brain was inflamed. This kunoichi; one who was both exceptionally beautiful, regardless of the scores that her life as a ninja had added to her body, yet also potentially homicidal; had just said that she would be with him. Time hadn't been specified, nor had anything beyond the fact that she would remain in his company, but he could see something falling into place. Something that he had tentatively contemplated late at night, when darkness flooded the room and all he could hear was the regular rise and fall of Kuro's breathing, synchronised with his own, entwined with his resting body. He wanted something much more than just to be a comrade to her. He wanted a life beyond one on the battlefield, in the shadows or within the ranks of Shinobi.

Kurotaka seemed to be following his startled train of thought, leaning back a little in order to see his full face. She had told him that she was slightly short-sighted, and also informed him that if he told anyone, he'd spend the rest of his life eating his meals through a straw. "If it's not what you want, Kakashi. I am willing to back off. After all, we've only known each other for a few months". She stopped at the look in Kakashi's one exposed eye.

"No Kuro, you don't have to do that". He hesitated. He should probably tell her now. Tell her the real answer to a question that she had asked him some time ago now. Perhaps then she would understand how much her closeness truly meant to him. It had to be worth the effort, even if the initial glare that she would give him for lying to her would be rather painful. "I want to tell you something. Something that should make a few things easier for you to understand". She blinked, hands sliding onto his shoulders and resting there. "Go ahead". Her face was wrought with curiosity, traced with a bit of apprehension.

"I'm sorry, but I lied to you earlier when I said that my family had died defending Konoha". There it was – the little flicker of hurt that always flitted through Kurotaka's face before she would replace it with a glare. A particularly good one as well. "It wasn't a direct lie, but I didn't feel comfortable talking about it with you just then". There, she seemed to accept that, eyebrows arched quizzically but dark blue eyes softer. She didn't say anything, but nodded encouragingly.

His eyes lowered, drawing a slightly haggard breath. There was a lot of pain involved with remembering how his father passed away, but he knew that she had to understand this. "Kuro, I never really knew my mother. She died when I was very young, too young to remember much more than the most basic of images and sensations. Warm arms, sweet perfume, but no more. My father raised me entirely by himself, even with all of his duties as a ninja". Kuro looked a little surprised, but still refrained from saying anything.

"My father and I had a lot in common, not to be immodest. He was a genius Shinobi, referred to as Konoha's White Fang and was held in high regard throughout the village. However, he was to fall from grace when he set out on an important mission with a couple of comrades". Kakashi paused, bitterness mixing with a confused mess of sorrow and anger in his throat. Blinking stubbornly, he ignored the awkward sensation and continued.

"The mission was dangerous. There came a point in the course of it where my father had to make a choice – to abandon the mission and save the life of his comrades, or continue and let them perish. Finally he chose to preserve their lives and neglected his charge. The mission failed, but their lives were safe. Back at the village though, my father fell into disgrace for his actions; damned even by the people whom he had saved". Now her safe was taut with horror, eyes overbright. She was a quick one, and already sympathetic to Kakashi's cause. He almost felt guilty about telling her this; making her feel such pain on his behalf. He had carried it himself for so long – it wasn't as if he couldn't keep carrying it. There wasn't any more need to make her hurt than there was.

"Everything just went downhill from there" he deadpanned. "Father began to neglect his body, his health and mind. He had been rejected by all that he had worked so hard all of his life to defend. At last the pain became too much for him. I returned home from the Academy to find his body on the floor, dead by his own hand and earlier negligence. I have lived on my own ever since". There. She knew it all now. Masurao and Akiraka had been the ones to drag him through that time; as his classmates they couldn't help but see his painful struggle to continue with life, so they had stuck by him and helped him out. Their efforts had been appreciated more than they knew, but still hadn't been enough to erase the scars that the hideous images had left. The slow process of humiliated despair, his father's emaciated, contorted body bloodless on the floor, ruined in a puddle of his own life energy. The helplessness; his inability to prevent it. The guilt, the shame, the hate. He couldn't look her in the eye, facing to the left of her, head held high defiantly. Silver hair spilled over his pupil, rendering his vision blurry, but there was no mistaking the pained expression on Kurotaka's face.

She made no attempt to look him in the eye, hands withdrawn and clenched in her lap; she looked down and breathed slowly. He hadn't any words to give her, nor did she know what to say; temporarily speechless. The freezing wind caught both of them, chilling to the bone but not enough to make them move. Grasses disturbed by the breeze danced violently; their rustling the only immediate sound close to either of the Shinobi.

"Kakashi" she spoke at last, head slowly raising to catch his eye. Reluctantly he turned to look at her. He disliked the guilt that she was now feeling; his pain had rubbed off on her and he was ashamed of himself for sharing it. Why on earth had he chosen to open such an old wound? Perhaps such things are better left alone, regardless of how important they might be. "Yes, Kuro?"

"I think I see the reason why you told me this. Two reasons even". Her voice was slow, rich with emotion, but controlled. Blue eyes level with his own single black, she regarded him calmly. "Your solitude for so much of your life has stemmed from the fact that you have not only lost one who cared for you, but that you fear to repeat his actions and in turn suffer from the same fate. I am right?" He nodded once, tightly. It wasn't easy to admit his own failings.

She didn't seem to notice his pride conflicting with his response. "As a result, you fear to enter a situation that could force you to make the same choice as your father; you're afraid to choose my safety over a mission, only to be rejected by both Konoha and myself. But there's more than that…" Her voice lowered as she leant towards him, cool pale hands closing over his own, enclosed in fingerless gloves. Eyes locked on his almost predatorily, forcing him to give her his full attention, rather than persisting with his inner self-damning. "Despite all of this, despite everything you know that could happen; everything that would make your life miserable; you are still willing to go through with it, just so that you won't be alone any more".

He was frozen, unable to trust himself to speak. What could she think of him, knowing this? Her expression was hard, emotions blocked from entering into her face. It was impossible to know what she was thinking, beyond that which she murmured.

"Kakashi?" A question in her voice forced him to open his mouth. "Hai?"

For some reason, she now seemed to be the one who was uncomfortable to speak, mouth opened slightly but no words issuing from it. Perplexed, Kakashi reached up and lowered his mask. It would be easier to talk to a full face, despite the fact that he still kept one eye clamped shut. Kurotaka drew a noisy breath as though steeling herself. Hesitantly, she glanced over her shoulder and then back at Kakashi, no longer so sure of herself. "Would you…I mean…" Now he was stunned. Kuro; stuttering? Such a thing did not happen to one so self-absorbed with her own abilities! He couldn't help but stare incredulously.

"…I…how to say it…" Frustration took over and she glared at him out of habit. "Stop looking at me like that! This is…a question I'm going to ask only once". Kakashi could barely take the risk to breathe, desperate not to break the spell of her concentration, the courage that she was mustering to speak these words. Gently though, he squeezed her hands; brave enough to offer her that little encouragement. She sighed and reluctantly spoke again.

"Kakashi, do you want me to stay with you? Permanently?"

Slowly, carefully, so as not to startle, embarrass or possibly enrage her, Kakashi disentangled his hands from hers and rose them to her face, hands gently cupping her cheeks, flushed a pale red. He stared affectionately at her. There was something unmistakably cute about her when she was uncertain, even though it happened so rarely. It was quite nice to witness an expression other than thinly-veiled or completely unveiled contempt. "Kurotaka. I would want nothing more than that, ever".

If possible, the blush that had budded rosily on her cheeks flushed even darker, but something like pride was tinged in her eyes. A smile tugged at her lips. She let her hands rise to meet his, fingers then straying to stroke his forehead, brushing back the silver forelock. "Very well, Kakashi-kun. I shall stay. And let me remind you that this will not be easy on either of us".

"Oh I don't know about that" he replied flippantly. "I reckon that after the first year, if I can dodge the majority of your tantrums, then I should be in good stead to continue breathing for the rest of the time to follow". She grinned at him "that sounds like a challenge". With that, she let her fingers knot themselves behind his head, dragging him down to meet her. He went willingly, meeting her lips with all of the gentleness that he could muster, teeth slowly trailing over her lower lip. His hands moved to her back, drawing her nearer, locked protectively into his chest. Her body fitted imperfectly against his, but that didn't matter. The kiss was brief, exchanged rather for an embrace, enjoying the sensation of closeness with each other more than anything else. Kakashi let his head rest on hers, inhaling the fruity scent of her shampoo, mixed with the more natural, oddly appealing smell that was Kurotaka herself. Her hair swam all through his vision, strands of black occasionally interrupted by a white stain; a bleached rejection of her Uchiha heritage.

The warmth of her form, held in his possessive caress as they partially sat, partially lay in the thankfully empty training field, girt by the shadowed woods and darkening sky, streaked with the sunset's tropical orange and pink. Kakashi felt his eyes close with a sense of peace. This was a moment that he intended to hold close for all of the time that he had left. Kuro seemed to have no intention of moving any time soon, face buried into his chest, one arm wrapped around his chest and the other hidden in a handful of his shirt. The regular rise and fall of her breathing had a soothing, near soporific effect. He had never felt so contented, so relieved and full of joy in his life.

Now all he had to do was make sure that it stayed that way.

………..

wild-filly: Please review!


	25. Chapter 24

Wild-filly: Once again, I cannot thank you all enough for continuing to read, review and most of all enjoy my writing! Still quite a bit to go with this fanfic, so never fear…

Thank you to the wonderful, considerate people who took the time to comment on the last chapter, these being Hanariko, YamiKitsuneKami, Tora Macaw, CripticWolf, hiddenwindmill, Andrea, softeyesxX, microsoft word, JapanAnimeGirl and dysmorphic delirium!

Disclaimer: still don't own any aspect of the manga or anime Naruto, except for those copies which live scattered around my room (grins)

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Okumen Gokurakuchou: Chapter 24

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The tranquillity of life could not last. Since war was still very much in full swing, the Hokage had begun to call recuperating Shinobi back to the battlefield. It was a difficult task to do – many of those healing required months, not weeks; but there was no other choice. Either they fought or Konoha would be exposed. Kakashi noted the lessening presence of other ninja on the training fields, even as he and Kurotaka continued their Sharingan training. It was only a matter of time before they too were called back to their duties. He found himself dreading the day that he would be approached by one of the secretaries, to be summoned to the Hokage's office and spirited away to some distant part of the Fire Country. Ordinarily he'd have been peacefully awaiting the fight, blood seething with carefully controlled excitement at the prospect of a new challenge. But now, all he saw the impending mission as was a barrier between himself and Kuro. There was no guarantee that they'd be sent on the same task.

The thoughts danced in his mind on a daily basis, each morning filling him with a sense of sickening anticipation. Would this be the day that he was called away? He rolled onto his back; sheets pleasantly warm under him. Staring pensively at the cracked ceiling for a moment, he then let his eyes lazily trace the cramped room. The sun rode high in the morning sky. They'd slept late again. There was something oddly comforting about that fact though. For one thing, they hadn't been awoken by someone rapping insistently on Kakashi's door. Scattered garments, unwashed dishes, piles of books littered the surroundings. They really were a scruffy pair.

A soft stirring at his side reminded him that Kuro was still sleeping. He let his gaze slide over her, a musing affection stealing over his mind. She looked so peaceable lying there; partially curled up under the tangle of dark green blankets and pale sheets. Her skin was a starkly bright contrast to the subdued colouring of the kunai-emblazed blanket. Midnight black hair that was usually tied back in a shred of white cord was loose, spilling indiscriminately over her face and shoulder blades. Long lashes quivered slightly. She was probably dreaming about something. He decided not to disturb her.

Sliding carefully out of the bed, he scooped up a sleeveless black shirt and tugged it over his head. They seriously needed to start using the chest of drawers. Well, to be honest, it was more like starting the process SHARING the chest of drawers that they needed to work on. Kurotaka had ousted all of Kakashi's garments from the furniture in order to house her own within its wooden walls. On the bright side, it made picking an outfit for the day remarkably easy. All he had to do was put on whatever he tripped over first.

After washing up in the tiny bathroom, Kakashi slipped out the door and made his way down to the markets. The streets were reasonably crowded, despite the absence of most of the community's members. He slid in between the crowds with ease, winding his way towards the nearest shops. Acquiring tealeaves, fresh fruit and rice, he made his way back to the apartment. Preparing food within its walls was always a trial, since it involved the setting up of a portable stove and their moving carefully so as not to disturb it. As he moved to push open the door, paper bag tucked under one arm, he froze. Kurotaka was talking to someone. He hovered uncertainly. He didn't recognise the other voice.

Tentatively turning the handle, Kakashi scanned the room swiftly. There was another Shinobi, clad all in black and Konoha hitai'ate wrapped around his left forearm. He was standing in front of Kuro, who had moved to sit on the side of the bed and looked as though she was trying not to yawn. Thankfully she had managed to tug on the cream and blue robe that she used as a dressing gown and was not clad only in linen wraps. At the sound of Kakashi's entry, the Shinobi turned and Kakashi felt his heart sink. He knew who that was. Not personally; but he'd met him before.

"The ANBU's Hatake Kakashi?" The question in the ninja's voice was unnecessary. There was no mistaking the silver hair and mask.

"Hai" he nodded curtly. This wasn't going to be good.

"The Third Hokage has expressed his wishes that you would report to him in one hour for reassignment." His gaze then retuned to Kurotaka, scrubbing at her eyes blearily and attempting to finger-comb her tangled hair back into place. "Miss Yumenimo, you too are to report to the Hokage, but not until this evening." At that, she frowned, dark brows furrowed together. His message delivered, the secretary stepped easily past Kakashi and quitted the room, leaving both Shinobi in silence.

Dropping his parcel onto the floor, Kakashi moved to the kitchen, pulling out the stove and lighting it. He didn't know what to say. A faint squeak of springs on the bed suggested that Kuro was equally uncomfortable, fidgeting slightly. She heaved out a sigh.

"You know what this means, Kakashi-kun." It wasn't a question. She was staring out the window; twisting a lock of dark hair between her fingers absentmindedly. He nodded, setting the kettle onto the heating mat. "We aren't going on the same mission" he deadpanned. He wasn't that surprised. The Hokage didn't assign missions based on friendship groups, not unless the situation was exceptional. And either way, neither of them had lodged any comment that would make him choose them both to go on the same mission. He hadn't really expected anything else, but he had hoped that perhaps, thanks to some wild coincidence, they'd have been sent off together. Reality certainly did bite with a vicious selection of teeth.

Dumping a measure of tealeaves into the heating kettle, water slowly bubbling as it drew to a boil, Kakashi let his mind quieten. "There's nothing that can really be done to alter the situation" he stated calmly. "If the Hokage has decided that it would be better for us to go on separate missions, then that is his choice and his alone. We can't question his judgement during a time when he is so strained." Kuro made no response; not even to berate Kakashi for stating the obvious. As a whistle of steam punctured the uneasy silence, Kakashi gratefully filled two cups with the scalding brew, turning to hand Kurotaka one. It gave him an excuse to examine her expression.

Strangely though, she seemed perfectly demure, taking the cup lightly from his burning fingers and pulling a face as she burnt her tongue on the first sip. She arched one eyebrow at him as he continued to regard her with a curious stare. "What are you looking at me like that for? You weren't expecting a maidenly crying fit, were you?"

"Actually I was looking out for a tantrum. That option hadn't even crossed my mind." He'd only seen tears cross her face once, and even then it was fleeting. "With any luck this won't last for too long" he commented.

She snorted, "don't kid yourself, Kakashi-kun. There's no reason for the Hokage to cut our missions shorter. Personal attachments are not supposed to interfere with our way of life. We take the pay-check, therefore we do the work; no more questions asked."

"Such is the life of a tool of war" commented Kakashi blithely, raising his own tea to his lips. A peculiar calm was stealing over him. A numb acceptance of sorts. There was bitterness, yes; but also a practical mindedness that overrode his otherwise irrational thoughts of defiance. Life couldn't just be put on hold because Kuro had entered it; nor could her life change dramatically just because he was in hers: the village was in danger and until it could spare them; these choices were a luxury that they could not afford.

"All in the name of the greater good" she added, eyelids lowering. "Or so we're told at least." Unwilling to push the subject further, she rose off the bed, setting her tea, half-drunk, to the floor where she'd doubtless trip over it later. Arms stretching, she yawned expressively and groped around for her errant hairbrush. "I should pull my stuff together for the mission; as should you."

"Indeed I should." Kakashi's mind was a blissful blank. He was going off to work; nothing more, nothing less. It was just a shame that their line of work offered few by way of health benefits.

…………….

The wooden ANBU mask pushed unpleasantly against his cheekbones. Kakashi resisted the urge to remove the irritating accessory, chewing on the inside of his lip to distract himself. Dressed in dark ANBU regalia, pale arm guards glinting from their earlier polish, he knew that he looked the picture of an assassin. Tall, silent, uniformed and of potential to be deadly. The purpose of the animal masks; his in the likeness of a dog; perplexed him somewhat. Maybe it was to put off people from trying to distract him: no matter how irresistible the ANBU ensemble may look, the weird wooden mask would not only obscure his identity, but also make him look slightly deranged. Other than that, he found the wretched thing unsightly, heavy and uncomfortable. Apart from that it was just fine.

He stood before the Hokage's desk; summoned to the office rather than a larger hall, simply because it was easier for the Hokage to continue working while filling him in. Time was of the essence in all areas of life in Konoha at the moment. Kakashi didn't make any move to break the older man's concentration, even though he was continuing to scan through documents as the Jounin stood there before him. There wasn't a chance that the Hokage had missed him coming in. Maybe he was waiting for Kakashi to break the silence. Or was he waiting for a chance to snap at someone for breaking his concentration, just so that he could rant and complain about the amount of stress he was under? Probably not. Kakashi decided to ignore his mind's selection of scenarios and stood stiffly to attention. What would come, would come and Kakashi was not going to antagonise it into coming with more force than necessary.

At last the third Hokage raised his tired face, scrutinising Kakashi's rigid stance under a fatigued brow. "Don't stand so stiffly, Kakashi. I'm not about to attack you."

Kakashi passed on the opportunity to comment on that statement, but relaxed considerably. The Hokage surveyed him critically. "I believe that you will now be fit to go off on a mission. It's sooner than I would ordinarily have chosen, and perhaps even for you a somewhat belittling scenario, but necessary." Kakashi said nothing, but blinked curiously behind the mask. Would this mean that he wouldn't be detained for long?

"I am sending you out on a solo tracking mission. A group of prisoners of war have escaped and I need you to find and escort them back to the prison camp. None of them are Shinobi, however they have had sufficient enough of a head start to completely elude any attempts of being found." The Hokage raised an eyebrow at Kakashi. "This won't be difficult for you in the slightest, hence my decision that it would be appropriate for your first mission with the Sharingan eye. If anything goes wrong, you won't be under much pressure as far as opponents goes."

A sympathy gesture. How humiliating.

"Hai, Hoakge-sama" Kakashi bowed stiffly. "Where did these prisoners escape from?"

"A holding facility thirty miles north of here. The people there are expecting you this evening. Don't disappoint them."

Kakashi rolled his eyes, confident that the Hokage wouldn't notice the expression. And a nice little evening jog. How very thoughtful of him.

With another bow, Kakashi quitted the room and loped off towards the village gates. The pace he'd need to utilise in order to make it in time wouldn't be too taxing, but it would take a while if he had to set off in the dark. He let himself drift into a mental slumber as he ran, flitting through the trees on the way to his task. A machine. His body was a machine, geared for warfare and completely perfected. He didn't need to think about where he was going, or what he was doing: the entire scene was his livelihood and education.

It was approaching sunset when he lunged into view of the holding facility. A great grey building that looked as though it had been poured straight out of a cement mixer and eventually hollowed. It was squat and unattractive. A blemish in the middle of otherwise pristine forests. Kakashi slowed his pace and walked stately into the clearing, scanning the area pensively. The potential for this to be a trap never left his mind. He paused outside the perimeter fence; a snare of razor wire and electric currents. A hole, shredded through the fence using the very razor wire that constructed it was evidence of the means of escape. Kakashi regarded it demurely. A useful fact: his quarry may be carrying razors.

A shout echoed across the clearing and a grey-clad guard came jogging over to where Kakashi stood expectantly. The other man was probably no higher than a Chuunin in ninja ranks. He approached Kakashi warily. "You have been sent by the ANBU?"

Kakashi nodded. "Directly from the Hokage's orders" he monotoned. It was important to keep his identity a secret; to leave nothing of remark about himself. Not only did this make him harder to identify for military purposes, but also in case he screwed up royally and didn't want to take the blame.

Glancing quickly at the red-and-white mask and vivid tattoo, the guard nodded in agreement and killed the charge on the fence, slid back the dead bolts and swung open the heavy door to admit the waiting ninja. Kakashi stepped forwards and waited until the young man finished quibbling with the locks. Honestly. Most of the prisoners had escaped for crying out loud – it seemed a little late to be bothering with those formalities. Satisfied that non-existent prisoners weren't about to escape, the guard led Kakashi through to the prison cells.

Dank shoeboxes made of cement seemed the best description that Kakashi could afford to these cells. The strewn refuse and horrendous odour belayed the truth of the conditions that the captives had been subjected to. Kakashi's upper lip curled. It was amazing how hypocritical a nation could be; the leaders of peace and justice just as corrupt as their enemies. The guard halted, turning to Kakashi and speaking sternly. "You are allowed to enter the cells and take anything that you need in order to recover the wards. When you are finished, push that button – " He pointed to a dull red buzzer mounted on the wall "- and I will come and let you out." With that, the man hurried away and out of sight.

Kakashi sighed. Better to get it over with quickly. Pulling out the scroll of summoning, he scored the tip of his thumb with a kunai and smeared the thick parchment, initiating symbols flicking through his wrists. There was an overpowering puff of smoke, from which burst a yapping pack of dogs.

"Kakashi! Long time no see!" Pakkun's voice rode most stridently over the baying din. He cringed. Not again…

Raising a finger to his lips, Kakashi was able to silence the dogs after three minutes of tail wagging, yipping and weaving about his legs in an attempt to get the Shinobi to scratch their ears. He couldn't really blame them for their actions. After all, they didn't see each other very frequently and dogs aren't very good at scratching each others' ears.

"We have a tracking mission to complete" he instructed. "Go into those rooms and pick up any scent that you can. We're leaving in two minutes." With that he slammed his fist on the buzzer and ambled through the opening door, leaving the dogs behind to sniff enthusiastically. Pakkun followed him. "It smells awful in there Kakashi. We aren't paid enough to put up with those kinds of working conditions."

"You're a dog Pakkun. I'm sure you've encountered worse."

"True, but that doesn't mean that I want to go around working in those kinds of conditions all the time. Besides, where are we? Where's the homicidal chick?"

Thankfully Kakashi was spared from having to answer, as the guard returned with a key. He stared quizzically at the unexplained pug and decided not to ask how it came to be in there. Kakashi was escorted out of the unpleasant building and through the perimeter fence.

"Bring the prisoners back here and we'll let you in. The fence will be repaired by then."

Kakashi nodded, turning around and walking back into the forest. A few moments later he heard shrieks out outrage from the guard and the excited baying of his dogs. Casting one eye back to the fence, he noted with some amusement that the dogs had tunnelled under it, rupturing the fence line and leaving a series of tunnels from the cells to the outside world.

"I'll be back inside three days" he called tauntingly. "That must be some handyman that you have doing the repairs." Not that the guard would have heard him. He was too busy staring in horror at the damage that he was now burdened with sorting out.

Surrounded by his pack of yipping, excited trackers, Kakashi followed their process through the woods and into the night. It wasn't work as such. Work implied purpose. This had no purpose.

…………..

Two days was in fact the amount of time that it took Kakashi to recover all of the missing persons. They were elderly and young alike, taken from the villages of other nations to be used as bargaining chips. It was a disgusting business. Nevertheless, Kakashi lead them back to their confines and took off for Konoha. It wasn't his jurisdiction. It wasn't his fault. Such were the claims and truths of war. The innocent suffer and in turn, so do those who have no choice in the matter.

He needed a drink.

The lights had been lit and the moon glowed faintly in the sky as he reached the gates of the village, slowly pushing them open to admit his presence. It was good to be home. There was a naivety about the place. The home of the most dangerous persons in Fire Country bathed in warm light and delusion of daily life and domestic chores. Even the most secretive of Shinobi had to have a place to call home and relax within.

He wondered if Kurotaka was home yet.

She would have gone to his apartment. She'd given up paying the rent for her own and decided that she would stay at his place permanently, until they'd earned enough to get a place with enough space for their combined junk to spread only one thin layer on the floor. There was no light on at the window though, as he wandered down the familiar street towards his home. She wasn't back.

Disappointment was replaced by hunger. He needed to eat, drink and shower. He wasn't tired, but he was tired of being grubby and hungry. Swinging by the apartment for a quick shower, he took off then to the nearest ramen stand. Health food be damned, he was in the mood for some greasy noodle soup.

They greeted him amiably at the stand, the elderly cook asking after his health as he waited for the steaming order. Niceties were exchanged; comments on the weather, the progress of the war, the prices on market goods. It was as though he were in a different world. Kakashi sculled his broth swiftly and asked for another, eyes heavy as he stared into the night, softly lit by strings of orange lanterns.

"You alive in there?"

The voice was a sudden intrusion on Kakashi's reflective mind. He started, swayed and nearly fell off his perch on the stool. His addressor laughed and reached out an arm to steady him. Kakashi stared incredulously back at the speaker.

"Long time no see, Kakashi-kun. Did you miss me?" Masurao's dark eyes twinkled with merriment upon seeing the surprise and then delight cross Kakashi's face. Kakashi's eyes bent into a grin. "Likewise, Masurao-kun. What took you so long to get back? Did you get stuck in another ditch?"

Masurao pulled an face and slumped heavily onto the neighbouring stool. "Nah. Much the same nonsense as usual. Spying, sabotage, the odd assassination attempt. You name it, I was roped into it. Bloody irritating it was too." The ramen cook offered him a bowl, which he gratefully accepted.

"When did you get back?" Kakashi queried, tucking into another helping of scalding noodles. Masurao stared at the ceiling. Maths wasn't exactly a strong point in his case. "A bit over a week maybe? Hokage called me and Gai back to rest." He shook his head dismally. "Nothing compares to the annoyance of being saddled with _him_ the whole time."

Kakashi patted his downcast friend on the back. That truly was a horrible fate for anyone to bear. "Any ideas how long you're going to be back for?"

"No clue" Masurao grinned. "The Hokage did tell me that he's going to set us both up for the same mission next though. Something about you needing a guardian angel while you sort out some new technique. Care to enlighten me?"

Enlightenment came in the form of Kakashi's empty bowl being upended on Masurao's head, cold miso broth dripping down the Shinobi's face.

Never flinching, Masurao dabbed lightly at the sticky trails of miso on his face and continued to stare at Kakashi expectantly. "You've got a lot of explaining to do, young one" he intoned mock-seriously. "You're covering one eye and when I crashed in your place because I couldn't find my keys, I found some VERY interesting garments in your dresser. Now, unless you've taken to cross-dressing, which, coincidently, is-" Kakashi's one-eyed glare cut him off at last as it turned into a two-eyed glare; one black and one red eye promising murder if Masurao continued his train of speech.

"What the hell happened there? Contact lenses or worse?"

Although a local ramen stand was not Kakashi's ideal choice for a place of enlightenment for Masurao as to his current status, it seemed as good a place as any at the time. For once his friend was remarkably silent as he retold his last mission and the events (censored somewhat) afterwards. He mentioned all that he felt was necessary and then lapsed into quietness as well, giving Masurao time to take in all that he'd told him.

"Shit…" He muttered eloquently. "You don't half do a lot with your life when my back's turned." Kakas hi blinked at him. How should he respond to that?

"Ah well…at least you're alive. That's the main thing. And this 'arrangement' with Kuro-chan… how did you manage it!" The wicked grin was back, leering at Kakashi with pride. "You've gone from the best of enemies to something much more interesting…" He cut it off there as Kakashi raised his chopsticks in a suggestively threatening manner. "Not that I want any details of course", he finished hastily.

"Good…" said Kakashi suspiciously. Masurao leaned back on his stool and yawned expansively. "You certainly do know how to fill the time, Kakashi-kun. I'm exhausted. How about we meet up tomorrow and do something? I for one fancy going drinking and maybe swinging by Gai's house with some rolls of toilet paper and eggs afterwards."

Kakashi sighed and then grinned. As much as hanging around with a moron like Masurao was tiresome at times, it was good for controlling excessive reality.

……………

wild-filly: I have an offer unto you all! As a special "tribute" chapter to all of the wonderful people who review, I ask for suggestions as to what should happen when Kakashi and Masurao go out to have a little "fun". Any suggestions will be heeded or at least given an explanation as to why I can't write them… the tribute chapter will be part of a joint posting with the next chapter in the fanfic, so please! Review and let your suggestions be heard! I beseech you; you've earned it!

Suggestions can be any random activities that they might partake in – other contextual characters may be brought in, minimalist self-insertions – you name it, I'll try to write it. It may turn out weird, but let it be an expression of my gratitude to everyone who takes the time to review – by taking the time to write their ideas. Thank you!


	26. Chapter 25

Wild-filly: Salutations and welcome to the reviewers' tribute chapter! Sorry for taking so long to update – I changed computers, so it's taken me a while to get used to writing on a laptop, instead of perched at a monitor…go figure. Well, I've taken into account all of the suggestions that I've been given and have prepared an in-character, in-plot fanfic extra for you all to enjoy.

Please note that the chapters to follow this will be getting progressively darker. I don't want to upset people, so I offer this warning in advance. However, I counter this by saying that **I** **also love a happy ending**, so please bear with me and don't flame me for necessary plot twists! I'm not as cruel as you might think! The fic doesn't end until it ends up in the present day, Kazama Hasaki, so don't worry –everything will tie together soon enough (grins).

Disclaimer: wild-filly does not own Naruto, or more importantly, Kakashi.

Hall of fame! Many thanks to the wonderful Hanariko, Tora Macaw, YamiKitsuneKami, Kazama Hasaki, Andrea, hiddenwindmill, tinky and JapanAnimeGirl! I hope that I do your ideas justice!

Drunkenness, lime, nakedness, fluff and other (ahem) goodness all ahead! Consider yourselves warned!

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Okumen Gokurakuchou: Chapter 25

………..

The sun was strong in the sky, light flooding in an offensively bright manner into the disaster that was Kakashi's apartment. If possible the mess was looking even worse than usual, despite the fact that most of Kurotaka's garments were missing and Kakashi's own were still rolled up in a ball stuffed in his knapsack. It was feasible that the lack of frequent moving about the apartment was to blame for making it look worse than it was – ordinarily the number of falls that occurred due to tripping over miscellaneous objects ensured that no dust was able to remain in one place for long. As such, the apartment tended to maintain an illusion of scruffy cleanliness. In the Shinobis' absence however, both dust and spiders had moved in with a vengeance and were staging a battle for dominance of the room.

This was, mind, a battle that Kakashi was blissfully ignoring, because he was still wrapped in a great tussle of blankets, peacefully sleeping the morning and early afternoon away. He and Masurao had talked until deep into the night. The fatigue from his earlier mission also weighed on his shoulders, however both strains of tiredness were currently being combated with a form of premature hibernation. He shifted awkwardly in his sleep, murmuring under his breath. It was strange to be the only one occupying the space. The absence of Kurotaka's lithe form, swathed in sheets and curled with her back against his stomach was most disconcerting. Fingers twitched, hands empty and a need for warmth ached in Kakashi's slumbering consciousness. Even in sleep he missed her. How pathetic.

A sharp rapping came at the door. Kakashi twitched slightly, a frown ceasing his face, still softened by sleep. One silver eyebrow flickered, and then he relaxed. There was a brief pause, and then the rapping began again, this time louder. Without even opening his eyes, Kakashi rolled over in his sleep, pulled the pillow over his head and proceeded to ignore the rapping annoyance without even apparently acknowledging its existence.

"Kakashi! Get the hell up!"

Still no response came from the tangled mound of sheets. From where he was enjoying the experience of being ignored outside Kakashi's door, Masurao muttered to himself. He stared irritably at the door, appearing to be considering whether his life would be worth living if he broke it down. Kakashi'd have to foot the bill for it – not something that Masurao particularly wanted. Especially since he'd probably end up hung, drawn and quartered for his generosity.

Ah well. Life was overrated anyway.

"Kakashi! If you don't open this door right now, I'm breaking it in!" With that, the shorter Shinobi planted one foot on the solid wooden frame and thrust, piercing straight through the wood and sending the entire frame inwards in a shower of splinters. Kakashi growled from the depths of the bed, blearily raising his tousled head to glare sleepily over at Masurao, who was now coming to terms with the issue of how to extract his foot from the aforementioned door.

"Why'd you go and do that?" He questioned mildly. He rubbed wearily at his eyes and began the complicated process of untangling the blankets from himself. Not an easy pre-morning coffee task. Masurao divested himself from the clutches of the door and staggered into the room. "Because you wouldn't wake up otherwise. I've been up for hours; I've organized everything while you were sleeping."

"Then why couldn't you leave me here a little longer so that I could be fashionably late?" Kakashi grumbled half-heartedly, now sitting on the side of the bed and looking vaguely more alive. Masurao shook his head in chagrin. "Never mind, Kakashi-kun. Just make sure you're ready to leave in an hour and it'll be fine."

"How precisely? You broke my door down!"

"The carpenter's already on his way. I sort of foresaw this maybe happening." He had to duck as Kakashi heaved his dog-eared copy of Icha Icha Paradisu that Kuro had bought for him at the grinning Jounin's head. "Now, now, don't be like that. Today's going to be fun, I promise you."

"So what have you done precisely?" Kakashi yawned, pulling on his mask as he searched clumsily about the room for clothing that could pass as clean, or at least lacking in spiders. He had a slightly bad feeling about this. Masurao was one for taking things to the extreme when given his head in arranging matters. The celebrations after their passing the Chuunin exam had been controversial to say the least…

Masurao's eyes bent into a grin, dark bangs obscuring them from view. "Well, I thought that we should do a little more than just sit around and get drunk today. We haven't even had time to celebrate becoming Jounin! So I looked around for inspiration and managed to arrange something that you didn't even consider yourself."

"What was that?" Kakashi glanced up in confusion from where he was shooing a spider out of his only clean shirt.

"A romantic getaway for you and Kuro-chan of course!" At the look on Kakashi's face, Masurao knew he was right – he hadn't even considered it.

"Are you stupid or merely a very good actor?" queried Kakashi in disbelief. "You actually went out and planned part of Kuro's life for her? Do you _have_ a death wish?"

"No, I believe _you_ do, since it's booked in your name" Masurao grinned cheerfully. "Come now Kakashi, don't look so disturbed. It's a weekend stay at the mountain hot springs resort; nothing drastic or incriminating. We're going to a hot spring today to give them a trial run; it's got sake _and_ it's pretty close to Gai's house."

"And that's a good thing, how?"

"Because it means that we can get drunk and not have to stagger too far to desecrate his house!"

"Who mentioned anything about needing to get drunk for that?"

"Oh shut up and work with me Kakashi."

"I can see a large problem with your argument."

"And what would that be?" Masurao asked the question, but obviously wasn't interested in the answer.

Kakashi glared, rolling his eyes. "There's a risk that he'll see us coming, since we have to pass his house on the way to the resort. We'll be stuck with him then."

Masurao winked. "It's a risk I'm willing to take Kakashi. Come on. Think of this as a bachelor party of sorts. Let's go out and do something stupid."

"That's funny. You've never needed an excuse to do that before."

………..

"Quiet. That's his place over there."

Kakashi glanced lazily over at the shaded apartment block towards which Masurao was gesturing in a cautious manner. It was intriguing how his companion managed to look both nonchalant and panicked at the same time in his pointing out of the fixture. Shinobi mind ever aware, Kakashi took in several details. A collection of spindly trees flanked the apartment, which was about eight stories high. Not too difficult to gain entry to. There was a fountain in the neat gardens before the building's entrance. There was also Gai, standing incredulously in the middle of the manicured lawns.

Damn.

"Masurao-kun and rival-Kakashi! What brings you to my humble abode!" There was no such thing as ordinary speech with that man; everything had to be either a declaration or an oath, either way it would be accompanied with a minimum of one exclamation mark. Kakashi smacked his forehead against his palm irritably as Masurao stammered a greeting. Great. So much for the stealth option.

Bounding forwards to meet them, the green-clad Jounin flashed his trademark grin and struck a pose. "You've never come to see me before! Can I take this as a peace offering, rival-Kakashi?"

"No, just a miserable coincidence" deadpanned Kakashi. Masurao frowned at him and turned back to the glowering Gai, sweatdropping nervously and waving his hands in a placating manner. "Now now you two… we didn't come here to pick a fight. We were just passing by on the way to the hot springs." Kakashi could have killed him then and there, as Gai's eyes lit up with a smoldering fire.

"The hot springs! A centre of relaxation and rejuvenation! A perfect rehabilitation centre for wearied ninja."

"Only for ninja who've booked ahead," chimed in Masurao, shaking his head in feigned disappointment. Gai's face fell, much to Kakashi's relief. Unfortunately though, he suddenly brightened. "Ah! How could I have forgotten? The owners of the resort springs company are old friends of the family! I'm sure they'll let me fit in somewhere!"

Kakashi was very tempted to call off the outing altogether, but for the look of utter patheticness that had now taken up residence on Gai's face. He obviously didn't get out much. Ah well. If he came with them then at least it would be able to find him for drunken abuse. Or something like that. Kakashi had a nasty feeling that Gai might be a violent drunk.

"Fair enough then" Masurao grinned awkwardly. "Shall we be off?"

It took Gai only a whirlwind of movement in order to pull together a couple of belongings and then sprint to catch up with the other two ninja, who had declined to wait for him. Kakashi scuffed down the path irritably. This was just what he didn't need; an annoying tag-along. It wasn't long before Gai had caught up to the two and was inflicting conversation upon them both.

"Masurao-kun! How have you been after the mission? My techniques are super-sharp now!"

"Not too bad. I've been keeping life quiet, so I'm not sure how my techniques are doing." For some reason, Masurao seemed quite anxious to avoid this train of thought, "so, how're things over at your end?" Kakashi snorted. Since when did Masurao care?

"Fine as usual, fine as usual" Gai's face was a picture of sunny pleasure. "How are you holding up from your sickness, Masurao-kun?"

"Sickness?" queried Kakashi. "You never mentioned that you got sick on the mission."

Masurao glared at Kakashi, "it was a stupid mistake okay? I forgot to bring my rainproof cloak, so I caught the flu. I was fine and still am."

"He kept coughing whenever we neared enemy lines, so I had to brew a special tea to make it stop" added Gai cheerfully. Masurao grimaced. "All that the revolting tonic did was weld my mouth shut! It had no beneficial properties whatsoever."

"I don't suppose you could show me how to make it in case of emergencies then, Gai?" Kakashi was amazed at himself. He had actually addressed a question that was more or less sincere at the other Shinobi. Gai too seemed somewhat taken aback, blinking in flame-eyed surprise. Unfortunately, he hastily recovered.

"Of course rival-Kakashi! I'm always ready to help you through your failings!"

Damn him.

Rolling his eyes, Masurao took off at a swift ninja-run. In a hurry to get to the springs, or simply to avoid conversation? Kakashi didn't know, but he was all for the second option. He broke into a quick lope in response, leaving Gai with the choice of speeding up, or continuing his discussion with a tree. Although in hindsight, a tree would probably be less sarcastic.

Easily keeping up with Masurao's pace, after about half an hour of running Kakashi noted the appearance of large clouds of steam, hanging over a patch of woodland up ahead. Masurao's jog lead Kakashi through a series of twists and turns, eventually bringing them to the gateway of the springs.

Kakashi glanced about them. The place looked pretty rundown. "You expect Kurotaka to want to come here?" he questioned Masurao skeptically. "She has issues with the loose skirting board in the flat. I hate to think how she'd react to giant holes in the wall." His attention was focused on a particularly large gap in the fencing. Perfect for some of the more perverted members of society, he mused.

Masurao chuckled. "Not quite, Kakashi. This is the 'lower' branch of the springs. The one I've booked you for is owned by the more up-market part of the company. It's up in the hills. I figured that we could probably risk slumming it down here."

"Good to hear." Kakashi stared about the place in a bored fashion. He could handle the shabbiness; if it meant that he could get drunk and annoy Gai. Well… drunkenness hadn't been much fun the last time he tried it. Maybe that was just one bad experience. After all, Kurotaka had been there ready to blackmail him.

Masurao went on ahead to sort out their bookings, while Kakashi and Gai meandered aimlessly outside, waiting being let in. Kakashi was quietly plotting to himself. What would be a good way to humiliate his shiny-headed rival without being caught? Immediately at least. A couple of ideas were manifesting themselves evilly in the back of his head. He wondered if Gai was on the lookout for attacks of this nature. Not that it was likely at this point in time, considering the other Shinobi was busy practicing poses in the background. _Honestly._

"Ok, we're in!" Masurao's head craned out around the door of the management building. "No problems with you being here Gai… or at least none that you weren't aware of already" he nodded at Kakashi, who had opened his mouth to refute _that_ comment. "Come on – the sake won't be there forever."

All in all, there were worse ways to spend the afternoon, considered Kakashi. Not that the strangeness of the situation hadn't escaped him. He was sitting chest-deep in scalding water, with a cold, soggy towel on his forehead and two morons sitting opposite him. The temperature of the water had shocked him at first, but he was slowing coming to enjoy the feeling of searing pain all over his body. It ranked right up there with sitting on a barbeque. He didn't know how the other two were managing to look so damn cheerful about it. The only bright side of it all was that one; they weren't talking to him and two; he was holding his fourth helping of sake in one parboiled hand.

Sipping luxuriantly at the strong liquor, Kakashi dimly noted the approach of another figure, garbed in a dressing robe and heading for their pool. Masurao and Gai chose that moment to burst out laughing; ear-splitting tones irritating Kakashi. He turned and watched the other spa-goer as they too slid into the water. There was an interesting hand-shaped bruise welling up on the muttering ninja's face.

Deciding that being sociable with this annoyed stranger might be less offensive than talking to Gai, Kakashi maneuvered himself closer. He caught a train of mumbling coming from the stranger. Something about writing, research material and restraining orders.

"Problems?" Kakashi poured out a measure of sake and offered it to the downcast bather. Perking up, the man took the sake and swilled the draught eagerly, rubbing his bruised face. He had a great mane of white hair, bizarrely spiked. Not that Kakashi was one to talk on that front.

"Yeah" he groaned, emptying the shallow cup and helping himself to another one. "I'm supposed to be researching material for my newest book, but every time I get near the pretty ones they always start screaming…" Kakashi blinked. "The pretty ones…?"

"The pretty ladies" filled the white-headed, now self-confessed pervert, emptying his second cup and holding it out for a refill. He flashed a grin at the perplexed Kakashi. "Don't you recognize me?"

Kakashi struggled with himself. "I…I know you by a different reputation… Jiraiya-sama. I didn't know that you were a writer." Or a pervert, he added silently, sipping on his own cup of warm sake.

The Legendary Sennin blushed modestly. "I started writing a couple of years ago, and wouldn't you know it? The public loves my work! So I've just got to keep training, improving my knowledge and developing my style."

"By spying on bathing women?"

"Of course!"

It then dawned on Kakashi that he hadn't asked what KIND of books the Legendary Sennin had been devoting his time to writing. "Very well." This was going to take a lot more sake. "How many books have you published?"

"Just one so far." The grin on the older man's face was infectious. "Even the ladies are buying it! Some amazing beauties, and even the bad-natured ones! Imagine that! Just a little while ago I sold one in person to one of the most antisocial kunoichi there is. She came to me specially for a 'training' manual." He grinned lewdly, eyes partially closed in delighted remembrance. Kakashi's heart leapt into his throat, then sank and stomach contorted simultaneously, forcing an expression of grotesque discomfort across his face. The sake he had been drinking somehow contrived to go down his throat the wrong way, causing him to erupt in a coughing fit. Banging a heavy fist on the spluttering Shinobi's back, Jiraiya continued cheerfully.

"Yeah… some achievement eh? She was a spunky-looking one as well… the kind I like to write about; the ones who fight it all the way, you know?… but anyway…" he cleared his throat. "I'm trying to find some new material, but it really isn't working out. All the volatile pretty ones are really hard to work with. Feeling better?"

Kakashi gave a tortured groan and shook his head, pouring a deeper serving of sake and downing it. Oh Kurotaka, how could you? She'd gone to Jiraiya for a training manual and come back with _that_ – and had given it to _him_ no less! He hoped that Jiraiya wouldn't say anything foolish: he didn't fancy fighting for Kurotaka's honour against one of the Legendary Sennin.

"Hey Kakashi, you ignoring us over there?" Masurao's slurred voice carried sharply over to the two pale haired Shinobi. Kakashi grimaced. Oh not now… Jiraiya grinned in response. "I was just talking about my new book to your friend."

"What kindaf booksat?" Gai suddenly manifested at Kakashi's side, draping one arm over and leaning against the startled and highly affronted Shinobi. "Kakashi doesn' read… yerwasting, your… time" His speech was even odder than usual, Kakashi noted as he dispassionately detached the drunk Gai from his shoulders and dumped him back into the spring with an air of disgust. Masurao chuckled, hiccupping at the same time. "You're perverted-Jiraiya-sama, aren't you? I've read your book…"

Far from looking offended at that little reference, Jiraiya's face took on every appearance of delight. "Yes! Don't you agree with me then, that the difficult ladies are always the most fun to work with?"

Masurao grinned widely, nudging Kakashi with a clumsy elbow. "And this one'd knowalllabou' that, eh?" Kakashi glared at him in warning, but was sadly unable to penetrate the drunken fog of ignorance that had settled over Masurao's consciousness and put his brain out of work for the day.

"Say what now?" Jiraiya leaned forwards with interest, throwing back another helping of sake and generously refilling Kakashi's cup. "Come on! Tell all! You could be the inspiration for my next book!"

Kakashi shook his head. It would be suicide. If Kurotaka found out… but what if she didn't? "I… I can't betray her trust like that" he mumbled unwillingly.

"Come on, that's no fun" Jiraiya scowled and refilled his sake cup. Gai remerged from the water, spluttering from where Kakashi had dumped him earlier. He'd forgotten all about him.

"RivalKakashi! I'll kill yooouuu…" he trailed off, reaching for the sake bottle and upending it into his beaker. He swallowed cheerfully, blinked a bit and then sat back down, face a picture of placidity. Kakashi decided to file that death threat under "lesser offences for later consideration".

"Yeah, Kakashi" Masurao chipped in, retrieving the bottle and filling his own glass, signaling to an attendant to bring over another. "It's no fair. You're the only one of us with a girl, so share a little!"

"Fine" growled Kakashi, sipping at his cup. "If it'll get you off my back-" He broke off to glare at Gai, who had draped his arm over his shoulder _again_. He flipped the Shinobi off and settled himself down uncomfortably to talk. He left out as many critical and graphic details as he could, offering only the bare bones to the ravenous and now very intoxicated audience before him. Even with the sketchy details, Kakashi was able to distract his drunken cohorts until the sun was sinking deeply into the horizon. By that stage, alcohol poisoning was well on its merry way to setting in.

"Excellent!" slurred Jiraiya, cross-eyed with glee. "You've given me a great filler plot for my next novel, Kakashi-kun. I'll be sure to put your name in the credits."

"Hm?" Kakashi stared blearily back at the older Shinobi, head in his arms, leaning against the side of the pool. He was suddenly feeling very sleepy. Gai twitched, stood aloft, made a controversial statement about kunai and women's underwear and then keeled over, completely unconscious, sinking beneath the tepid water. Masurao stared pensively at the prone body of the flamboyant ninja and then, with a look of intense concentration, began poking it in the ribs.

One of the spring attendants had the foresight to drag the unconscious Gai out of the pool before he drowned and contaminated the water for future patrons. Masurao and Kakashi sat and mulled over the hot water and alcohol-soaked thoughts, as Jiraiya scribbled illegibly onto a notebook which had materialized from apparently nothing. Kakashi had the vaguest feeling that this was going to hurt in the morning. Something else occurred to him though.

"Weren't we going to do something?" he queried Masurao, eyes heavy with liquor.

The other ninja blinked back drowsily. "Oh yeah. Toilet papering Gai's house rings a bell. Anything else?"

"Nah" Another idea was forming in Kakashi's muted brain however. He grinned goofily. "Hang on… how about we colour his hair?"

Masurao's eyes brightened, momentarily losing their sleepy composure. Both ninja staggered over to the snoring form of the intoxicated Gai. It then occurred to them that neither of them had any means by which to colour his hair in the first place. Come to think of it, they didn't even have any toilet paper. Kakashi would have smacked himself on the forehead if he could find it.

"Well, what do we have then?" Thinking hurt his head too much.

"Maybe we can find some hair dye inside" pondered Masurao, groping about for the sake bottle. Kakashi nodded and swayed towards the entrance to the springs, without even stopping to question the logic behind that one. He'd see what he could find and make the most of a bad situation.

It was later revealed, after some very inexpert burglary, that they would be making the most of a tin of inexplicably salmon pink paint. Masurao found it inside the storage room; probably intended for some garish interior decorating. Either way, it was heavy-duty stuff and offensively coloured: perfect. Within moments, Gai's head was dripping pink paint, though the Shinobi snored blissfully on.

"Should we swing by his house?" questioned Masurao. "That _is_ what we planned to do, wasn't it?" Kakashi yawned. "Too much effort. I reckon we've done enough anyway. Let's go home." He nodded to Jiraiya, who was busy hiding himself in the bushes, waiting for any potential female bathers to venture down to the baths. "If he turns homicidal, tell him that we could have dressed him in drag and left him in the training arena, but declined; if it's worth anything."

Jiraiya grinned and gave a lopsided thumbs-up. "Thanks for the material, Kakashi! I'll see you next time I need some inspiration."

In hindsight, Kakashi realised that he should have been much more worried about that parting comment than he actually was.

………..

"So what's going on here, Kakashi-kun?" Kuro's voice was perplexed, her eyes cocked in a confused manner at the other Shinobi. Kakashi smiled, silver hair spilling freely over his forehead. She stared briefly at his eyes for a moment and then gave a snort of laughter. "And just what are you wearing?"

He'd removed the hitai-ate for favour of a small black eyepatch, loaned to him by Masurao, originating from a costume shop. The other Shinobi had insisted that, if he wanted to make a good impression, then he needed to prove that he could independently operate his wardrobe AND do the washing. He wasn't sure whether or not to take offense to this. "An eyepatch, Kuro-chan. I decided to go without the forehead-protector for once."

She grinned at him, choking back a snigger. "It's not so bad, once you get over the initial pirate impression. Who gave you that idea? I bet it was Masurao". Kakashi's brief nod only made her roll her eyes, midnight blue almost black in the late afternoon. She'd returned from her mission only a couple of hours ago, but was remarkably refreshed. "So where're we going?"

"I've booked a place for us out in the mountains. A hot springs of sorts. I thought that you might enjoy it." At the startled look on her face, he knew that he'd guessed right.

"How on earth did you manage to get a booking? Those places are full for months…" He shook his head mysteriously; a good tactical move, since he had no idea how Masurao had in fact come by the reservations. "It's only for the weekend, so I suggest that we enjoy it while we can."

She grinned and shook her head, dichotomized bangs flipping haphazardly over her face. "I don't know what to make of you Kakashi-kun, I really don't."

As long as it's not a punching bag, then I couldn't care less. The though flitted through his mind and was hastily ruled out as inappropriate for the occasion. Maybe later, when she wasn't feeling so... positive towards him.

"Meet me at the gates in twenty minutes or so. There's another surprise waiting." Her eyes widened with pleasure, curved into a grin and then she vanished, spirited away to their apartment. He'd already removed his pack from the room, so he needn't double back with her. Great. Now to meet Masurao and find out what the hell the surprise was going to be any way.

The sun was exuding an intense tangerine light over the surrounding woods, now awash with darker hues than normal, forming a haze of violent colour about the village. Kakashi stepped nimbly between the gates and froze. Masurao was standing there, grinning from ear to ear. But what had stopped Kakashi was what the other ninja was holding.

"Are you crazy?" Kakashi hissed, hurrying over to his waiting "friend". "How in the name of all things holy did you manage to come by _those_?"

"The horses, Kakashi dear?" Masurao chuckled, stroking the white-splashed muzzle of the chocolate brown mare nearest to him. "They belong to an old acquaintance. And very well trained they are as well, so you needn't worry about getting bucked off into a tree or thrown into a river…" Kakashi shook his head dismally.

"What am I going to do with you?" Déjà vu. Only Masurao just grinned wider.

"Put it on my tab. You owe me for this one Kakashi. When I get a girlfriend, then I want you to uphold this debt. Play the violin for us or something." Kakashi was torn between glowering and smirking. "Are you sure about that? I'd probably scare her off if she were subjected to my musical skills." Masurao dismissed it with a wave of his hand, shoving two sets of reins into Kakashi's hands.

"Right. The chocolate mare is Yumi and the dappled grey gelding is Hoshi. You'll take them via the mountain trail to the hot springs. There're stables and stable hands up there to look after them. You can take them out whenever you want, but make sure that you bring them back here by the end of the weekend for the owner to collect." A couple of tokens were shoved on top of the reins and Masurao winked. "Have fun!" With that he bolted, sinking into the scrub just as Kurotaka strode through the gates.

The look of complete shock on her face was almost worth the humiliation that Masurao would bestow upon him later. Her entire face appeared to light up with wonderment, eyes widening impossibly. She didn't seem to know how to respond. It was then that Kakashi noticed that she'd changed from her normal, high blue kimono-shorts hybrid into a different outfit. One that he hadn't seen strewn on the floor before. She now wore pale blue trousers, loose to the point of resembling a skirt and cut just above the ankle, sitting on her hips. A sash of darker blue was draped over the top, impractically hung with silver bells. Obviously this was not something designed for ninja chores. She too had abandoned the forehead protector, hair unchecked from its white cord and falling past her shoulder in generous coils. A dark blue obi, picked out with white embroidery held her sleeveless shirt of the same pale blue tightly about her form. Curves were highlighted but not flaunted, the neckline a sharp dive that stopped tantalizingly close to her breasts.

Kakashi shook himself mentally. Honestly. He'd never paid so much attention to female clothing in his life. Normally it only caught his attention whenever it failed to serve its intended purpose.

"We're going to get there by horse?" She stepped towards him eagerly, belt bells chiming sharply with her decisive movements. "Amazing! I haven't worked with horses in ages!" She stroked the mottled muzzle of the lanky gelding, chuckling as the tall animal bent his head lower to meet her, ears pricked to attention and muzzle softly tickling her face. Kakashi grinned despite himself, tossing her the reins.

"Come on. We've got a bit of a trail to follow." He turned to the chocolate mare and eyed her appraisingly. Kakashi was capable enough in the saddle to get a horse to more or less do what he wanted; provided that the horse was good natured enough to listen. The mare eyed him questioningly, snorted and turned away in order to crop some grass. Maybe that was a good sign. She hadn't attempted to trample him yet.

Springing lightly into the saddle, Kakashi awaited Kurotaka to mount her horse and then wheeled the mare, reins sliding through his fingers gently, to head towards the woods. The gelding fell into step behind him, but was obviously not content to do so. Within moments the two horses were abreast, both riders' legs brushing as the horses sauntered in close formation.

Kurotaka didn't say much. Her eyes were everywhere, flying from the darkening sky to the cool wilderness to Kakashi's face and her mount's neck. It was as though she were trying to imprint the sights of that evening into her memory. Kakashi smiled quietly to himself. It was nice to see her so happy, so relaxed for once. Neither of them was consciously checking for enemies, traps or thinking of the warfare exploding hundreds of miles away. For once, they were an ordinary, peaceful couple.

The woods filtered away to form a winding path, climbing in an easy slope up the mountains and into a valley, supported by the steep slopes of two conjoining peaks. Kakashi's horse snorted slightly as the terrain shifted from soft, springy turf to bare rock and rubble. Kakashi let his reins slacken, allowing his mare to pick the path for herself. Behind him, Kurotaka was humming slightly to herself, talking intermittently to the lanky gelding. Kakashi contemplated feeling usurped from favour by the loping equine, but pushed the thought from his head, chuckling dryly.

"What's so funny?" Kurotaka's voice was light, cheerful as though she were continually fighting the urge to laugh. "The view here's incredible!"

"That it is", murmured Kakashi. The bare face of the mountain leant to the Shinobi an uninterrupted view of the wilderness. The sun had only recently set, but the night's dark folds were draping themselves over the forest. The juxtaposed colours; day's vivid brightness and night's cooling tones were matched in a fierce dichotomy, splashed over the horizon and bleeding into the darkening forest below. Sky, mountain and forest formed a seamless union to their eyes. Kurotaka had fallen silent. The only noise about them was the huffing breaths of their mounts and the distant chirps and rustles of night creatures beginning their nocturnal affairs.

Kakashi turned in the saddle to see Kurotaka gazing at him, a peculiar expression writ on her face. "What's the matter?" he asked, slightly concerned. "The springs are only another ten minutes or so away, if you're tired."

"I'm not tired Kakashi" she smiled at him. "I just don't know what to say… nothing's the matter though, so don't worry." She fell silent and Kakashi turned his head the other way, concentrating on their path. She had been struck speechless… now that was a first. A good sign? The mountain's slope was leveling out as they neared the small valley. Situated at a height, the valley was, in all honesty, a mere joining point of the two mountains, partially up the length of their bases. The area was sheltered, lushly grassed and sparsely inhabited, but for the people who had built the holiday resort within the wooded space. It was secluded, quiet, clean and in the presence of great natural beauty. A haven of sorts. Kakashi had seen brochures. It would be somewhat different from the springs that he and Masurao had crashed.

The sparse mountain trail was widening as the horses clopped placidly higher, the loose rubble becoming earthier and more heavily trodden as it leveled off more and more, finally ceasing to decline altogether. Kurotaka nudged her horse forwards as soon as the track widened sufficiently to fit the two riders. Kakashi smirked at her, eyes creased into a smile. "Almost there. I think." She grinned in response.

"Would that gate up ahead be the entrance?" she queried, tossing her head in the direction of an elaborate gateway. It was clearly ancient, sculpted of wooden carvings and brightly emblazoned with red paint, gold leaf and mahogany trappings. A veritable work of art exposed to the wilderness. Kakashi shrugged. "Looks like it to me."

"In that case, I'll race you to it." With that, Kurotaka put her heels to the gelding's flanks, leaning over the horse's crest and hissing in his ears. The animal surged forwards, hooves spraying gravel behind him. Kakashi's mount snorted angrily, head flying up and ears flattening in annoyance. He grinned and pushed the irate mare forwards, legs wrapping about her sides so that she sprang, an arrow released from a bow to pound down the path after the fleeing kunoichi.

The grey gelding had only had a moment's head start, but the animal's longer legs were widening the distance between the two faster than Kakashi's mare could close it. With a growl he lowered himself over the mare's neck, hands kneading into her neck as he pushed the mare onwards. A kick of her heels and the mare sprinted forwards, brown tail a dark banner streaming in the wind, framed by the dying light. Ahead of them, Kurotaka's dark hair mixed with the pale mottling of her dappled mount's mane, the kunoichi's dark form almost invisible on the pale steed's back. Kakashi grinned as they closed in on the two. Kurotaka was getting lenient, enjoying the rush of speed and cool air more than the thrill of the chase. As he drew level with her, Kakashi reached over and playfully tugged on one of the flying locks of her hair.

In an instant, she flinched and glared at him, but quickly softened the glare into a smirk as she kicked the grey's rounded flanks again and pushed him on faster. The two horses were galloping side-by-side, nostrils flared and breath roaring with each thunderous footfall. Kakashi responded with a kick to his own mount's sides, the smaller mare echoing the sympathy with a burst of speed as she fought to keep pace with her taller rival.

"You can't win Kakashi!" laughed Kurotaka over the deafening thunder and rush of the wind, "you're too heavy for that horse!"

"We'll see about that!" he snorted in indignant reply. Of all the nerve! As if the insult had been directed at her personally, the mare's ears flattened against her skull and she pulled forwards, neck fully extended and head snaking menacingly. Chocolate and grey legs extended and contracted in an incessant flurry, chocolate limbs pushing onwards even harder. Kurotaka's grey struggled to match the extension, as Kakashi's mare lunged towards the gateway, bearing down on the low barrier that had been erected for ornamental purposes. Kakashi grinned triumphantly. They were in the lead!

As the gateway drew even nearer, he eased up on the mare's pace, drawing the reins back to himself and sitting back in the saddle. Gasping for breath, the mare snorted and shook her head, bit rattling between her teeth as she fought the brakes. Kurotaka's gelding fretted in a similar fashion behind them, anxious now that he was behind the mare. Kakashi twisted in the saddle to eye-smile at Kurotaka. "I've made it first! So what were you saying about being too heavy?"

Kurotaka just grinned at him again, pushing her horse alongside and overtaking Kakashi, bearing down on the barrier that stood at chest height before them. Kakashi swore as he realized what she was about to do. She wouldn't! He'd only jumped a horse once before, and even then it had been over a mere log and he hadn't been able to walk in a straight line afterwards for shaking. He didn't know if he could follow her over that and still remain in the saddle.

Kurotaka eased her gelding up a stride, collecting the surging animal below her and in response, the horse's ears flicked backwards. Nose rising to sight the jump, the gelding coiled beneath the kunoichi like a spring, shooting upwards as Kurotaka rose in the saddle, hands knotted tightly into the grey's mane. Unfairly professional. Kakashi's mount snorted in excitement, head flinging into the air. He checked her carefully and then pushed forwards. If Kuro had done it, then he'd better follow.

The feeling of the chocolate mare bunching, muscles rolling like koi fish in a shallow pool beneath him was something quite foreign. With a grunt, the mare thrust herself into the air, Kakashi tipping forwards instinctively, he wrapped his hands tightly into the coarse mane in an effort to steady himself. The barrier rose and swept beneath them, uncomfortably far below. The mare was only suspended in the air for a moment, but it felt like an eternity before her hooves bit deeply into the turf and bounded to meet Kurotaka's sweating gelding, pitching Kakashi forwards onto her neck as he fought for balance.

"Nice jump Kakashi!" She crowed, "but I still made it in first!"

Shaking slightly, Kakashi reined in his mare and let the animal walk, head swinging low with fatigue, alongside Kurotaka's plodding horse. "Kindly warn me the next time you're going to attempt something suicidal. It'll give me time to write my own will."

"I thought you looked a little nervous up there" she snickered. "All's well that ends well, ne?" He chuckled and shook his head at her. "Never mind. I think they've seen us coming by now." A well-lit little house on the side of the path was coming ever closer to them, a couple of curious heads poking around the doorframe. Kakashi took the lead, fumbling in his pockets for the registration tablets that Masurao had given him. It would just be luck to have dropped them somewhere on the mountain path, or for them to have gone flying into leafy oblivion during the jump earlier. Thankfully the cool tiles came to his fingertips.

Kurotaka hung back, smiling quietly to herself and stroking her gelding's crest, now glowing slickly with sweat in the lantern light. Kakashi pushed his horse towards the waiting doorkeepers and dismounted, swinging easily down from the saddle. He briefly exchanged words with them, handing over the tiles and his horse's reins before walking over to Kuro.

"We've got a little cabin just down the path there," he gestured towards a winding trail that lead down through the wooded gardens, faintly lit by strings of dangling amber lanterns. "Shouldn't take us much more than a couple of minutes to wander down. We can leave the horses here. They'll be taken care of."

Within minutes the two were walking hand-in-hand down the winding path, fireflies darting all about them. Kakashi wondered if they had been trained to do it specially; fireflies bred and trained to add to atmosphere on command. Either way, it was certainly working. He'd never seen Kurotaka look so alive with delight. It occurred to him that she'd probably never done anything like this before. Her family circumstances hadn't exactly allowed her to go on nice trips to the mountains.

"Where are the hot springs?" she queried, craning her head over her shoulder. "I can see the steam, but they don't appear to be anywhere nearby."

"Not far off" he reassured her, "they're screened by trees. The cabin we have has its own private pool, so one we find it, we'll find the spring soon enough."

They rounded a scrubby corner and were met with a small wooden hut, built from slat pine and with a traditional Japanese tiled roof. Kakashi unlocked the sliding door and ducked as he entered, hastily remembering to remove his shoes before he tracked mud across the polished floors. Kurotaka followed suit, though she did not have to duck. "Remarkable Kakashi. I would never have picked you for a traditionalist." Her gaze was on the rich silkscreen paintings on the walls, dark wood fixtures and low furniture glowing in firelight, obviously appreciative. He shrugged nonchalantly in response. "I didn't know whether you'd like it or not. There's something oddly comforting about old architecture."

"Depends on the architecture," she chuckled. "I for one am not keen on old bridges or ladders, for one thing."

"Different type of architecture," he shook his head in mirth, sliding open another door. A low futon, thickly adorned with heavy cream blankets filled the centre of the room, flanked by dark mahogany bedside cabinets and even more silkscreen paintings. A small heater was positioned beside a great stack of fluffy white towels and dressing-robes. This place must have cost Masurao a fortune, he thought in wonder. He definitely needed to pick up his bar tab or something to pay him back.

"You go on ahead to the springs, I'll meet you there."

Startled, Kakashi glanced over at Kuro, but she wasn't looking at him; her attentions diverted by a tall standing vase, filled with new sakura branches, cut from one of the trees outside. "As you wish" he intoned. Grabbing a clean robe the pile, he dumped his pack unceremoniously on the floor and quitted the place. It didn't take much meandering in a lost/aimless fashion for him to come across their spring.

Thick foliage obscured the pool from public view. Rising steam from other pools and distant laughter told Kakashi that he was not alone outside tonight, but enough for him to have a little privacy. Uncertainly, he tugged off his mask, unwrapping his pale bandages and stripping away black trousers and a dark blue shirt. He hadn't bothered with the Chuunin jacket today. Kunai and shuriken clunked into a neat little pile beside his clothing and he stepped gingerly to the pool's steaming edge. Cautiously he dipped a toe into the tepid water. Pleasantly warm; not scorching like the last experience. He eased himself carefully into the hot water, scars on his chest tugging and stinging as he did so. A hiss of pain rose and died in his throat, replaced by the warmth of relaxation, the heat draining his muscles of nervous tension. The soft light of the lantern strings seemed to blur and wink in a friendly fashion, just as the stars above him did.

"May I join you?" His eyes snapped open. He hadn't even noticed them closing. Kurotaka was grinning down at him. "Sleepy are we? I won't keep you up then."

"No, no, I assure you, I'm perfectly fine with the idea of being kept awake." She was dressed in one of the linen robes that he had brought down with him, starkly pale against the raven's black of her hair, spilling loose down her back. The taut fabric clung to her form, secured there by a thick white girdle. He found himself somewhat preoccupied with the tightness of that robe; something he was rather embarrassed to admit. Kurotaka caught his train of sight and flushed, hands moving to the girdle, fingers prying the knot loose. Her eyes locked onto Kakashi's; forcing his attentions back to her face and not the other equally interesting aspects of her person.

Nervously, she slid the robe from her shoulders, drooping to bunch down at her waist. She hesitated there for a moment, closed her eyes and then let the rest of the material fall, landing silently on the rocky ground. Midnight blue eyes opened again and rested demurely on his. "Well?" she murmured. Kakashi could only stare at her, unable to put voice to his thoughts.

"Are you going to say anything?" she was grinning, nervously it was true, but she was still mocking him in his wordlessness. "This isn't the first time you've seen me as I am" she chuckled.

He shook his head, still enraptured. The only times he'd seen her though, had been in the moonlight, curves partially obscured by the play of shadow and light. She stood before him now completely unhidden, unobscured and unadorned in the light of the lantern strings and crescent moon. Her skin was almost pallid in its paleness, a crisscrossing of scars scoring their way across her belly and upper arms. The scar that she'd gained from the Jounin exam was a faint line, marring otherwise ethereal features on her face. Ethereal in his eyes at least. Dark hair spilled forwards, almost long enough to hide her full, pale breasts from view, but not quite so. She stepped forwards, stooping to enter the water and then freezing, watching him.

Kakashi sighed. In one swift movement he was at the water's edge, arms seizing her wrists and pulling her towards him. Unbalanced by his actions, Kuro staggered forwards, splashing into the pool with considerably less dignity than she'd intended. Both of them fell, flailing back into the water, Kakashi's head completely submerged in the process. Well that could have gone better.

"Kakashi, you idiot!" Her voice was shrill with indignance and barely suppressed laughter. He rose to the surface, drenched and silver hair flopping pathetically into his eyes. Kuro leant forwards and brushed it away from him, laughter no longer held back. "You really do look like a wet dog like that" she informed him. "Just what were you thinking, grabbing me just then?"

"I'd tell you, but I think you'd hit me" he responded, eyes creased into a smile. Thankfully his eyepatch had remained in place. The Sharingan was certainly more trouble that it was worth at this point in time. She smacked him playfully on the shoulder. "Tell me. I've hit you already, so the worst is yet to come."

"I don't like the sound of that" he grinned, reaching forwards and placing his hands this time on her shoulders. His fingers knotted themselves in thick tresses of black hair, combing through them absentmindedly. He lazily let his fingers trace her neck, stroking the soft skin at the nape of her skull. "What was I thinking? Now let me see… I'll have to jog my memory."

Kakashi leant forwards, lightly kissing her on the ear. The heady scent of the jasmine shampoo that she used blended with her own natural smell, slightly sweaty from the ride. It wasn't unpleasant, but rather oddly comforting in its own way. She whimpered slightly as he brushed his cheek against her own, eyes hidden by her hair. This was a difficult business with her hair loose; he'd never considered that fact before. Pulling back slightly, he slowly kissed her on both cheeks, eyes carefully fixed upon hers.

"I was thinking… come now… what was I thinking?" he mused out loud, stare becoming one more cloying, mocking. His lips moved to her forehead, trailing a line of small kisses from one side to the other, then placing a fluttering kiss on each trembling eyelid. She was riveted, unable to move and breathing elevated; he could hear each intake of breath whirl noisily in her chest. He dropped his head to her chin, planting a gentle kiss there and moving slowly to her neck, continuing his careful trail until he kissed the back of her neck. Hesitantly, his tongue flickered to taste her skin, deepening the kiss there. Returning his eyes to her own, he smiled. "Now I remember…"

Voice husky, Kurotaka stared back at him, eyes lidded as though lulled into a sleepy stupour by his ministrations. "Remember what?" He chuckled at her. "I remember what I was thinking of course! What else would I remember?" She frowned at him but appeared to give it up, eyes sinking shut again as he kissed her cheeks, hair tickling against her face. "Oh give over, Kakashi" she mumbled, "I'm not in the mood to hit you anymore."

"More's the pity" he commented wryly, forcing a grin to her lips. His hands stroked their way lower, tracing the path of her neck and shoulders to trail down her shoulder blades, massaging the dense muscle groups he found there. Years of martial arts training had brought her body to a subtle peak. As his fingers kneaded into her soft flesh, he felt her body respond, muscles rolling to admit his care. Kurotaka groaned contentedly, her own hands moving up to seize his upper arms as though she would force him to keep massaging. He quirked one eyebrow. So she enjoyed this, did she? Carefully he pushed his hands harder into her tense back muscles, rubbing and circling assertively, forcing another moan from her. Tension bunched against him, but he persisted, smoothing out her flesh.

"When was the last time you went to the physiotherapist?" he chided her, "your back is a mess of tension knots here." Not that he was complaining though; she was visibly sagging into his arms as he spoke, head lowering to rest on his shoulder. She mumbled something, then angled her head upwards to look him more or less in the eye. "Why would I pay for a physiotherapist when I have you here and now?"

"Point taken" he conceded, bringing his hands in widening circles, fingers stroking their way to the front of her body. She grinned drowsily at him, eyes sparking a little as she moved from the relaxed state that the hot water and Kakashi's massaging fingers had brought about. He gently traced her stomach, following the soft grooves of her abdominal muscles, dropping a kiss on her forehead as he did so. "I was saying earlier… what I had remembered…"

"Hm?" She stared at him critically as he continued to stroke her stomach, hands now gently moving to skirt the edges of her breasts on the way back up to her collarbone. He kissed her again, gently between the nubs of bone that were her collarbone, causing her to shift against him. Then he straightened, cupping her face in both hands, turning her attention entirely to him. She looked at him questioningly, eyes large with interest and partially hidden by her white-tipped bangs.

"I thought, Kurotaka, that you were the most wonderful creature that I have ever seen." He spoke sincerely, heart pounding as she blushed and smiled, a mocking edge returning to those eyes. "Truly? And you're including what you see in the mirror in that comparison, aren't you?" He just grinned at her in response. "The mirror? Come now Kuro, you know better than to make me choose. That is entirely unfair of you to make me choose between my two greatest loves." She gave a bark of laughter in response and lunged upwards, seizing his lips with hers.

Her body rocked forwards into his, demanding his attentions entirely. Kakashi's hands ensnared the curves of her upper body, stroking her supple skin appreciatively as she massaged his shoulder blades. Her hands tickled his skin, stroking the arches and curves of bone and muscle they found, as though molding them from clay. Knots of tension flowed pliantly from his body at her touch, subservient to her ministrations. His mouth was on hers, delicately tasting her mouth. He nibbled at her lip and smiled into her as she opened her mouth in response, bidding him entry. The two embraced internally, his senses full of the touch, taste, sight and sound of her; Kurotaka moving for dominance in the kiss, pushing Kakashi downwards so that she could look him in the eye, sparkling with mischief. He could only grin back at her, rapt with foolish delight.

Her hands traveled lower, embracing the full extent of his body. He couldn't suppress a shudder of gratitude as she tended to his strained muscles, gently but determinedly working the kinks out of his lower back. She trailed soft kisses down his face, following the curves of his neck as he leaned into her affections, kissing her skin through drapes of long black hair. She then opened her mouth, teeth delicately tracing the curve of his neck and shoulder, tantalizingly close before pulling back and coming in, nipping his flesh. He gave a hiss and his body roiled with desire, kissing her fervently and unashamedly. Their bodies meshed into a living framework, surrounded by steaming water and the silent solace of the wilderness under the moon.

The two remained there, locked in the tangle of each other's embrace, unashamedly exposing the height of their pleasure to the early hours of the morning. The ambience of the wilderness, shadowed flora their only curtain to shield them from the stares of other spa-goers. The steaming hot water held their bodies in a warm boundary, protected from the rawness of the elements yet at the mercy of their own ministrations. At last, exhausted, Kakashi scooped Kurotaka into his arms. She sagged, limp and satiated into his tight grasp, unconcerned as he stepped carefully out of the pool and recovered their clothing.

Dumping their bundle of possessions onto Kurotaka's sodden lap, still ringing wet from their little exploits in the pool, Kakashi walked stealthily down the path towards their cabin. Completely naked, but for Kurotaka's equally bare form carried protectively before his own, Kakashi felt somewhat vulnerable to attack, not to mention the chill breeze. Darkness was all about them; the lanterns burning on mere stumps of wick. It would be dawn soon.

Snuggling closer to Kakashi's damp chest, Kurotaka heaved a sigh of contentment. "Maybe a towel would be a good idea in future, Kakashi-kun"

"Hai, Kuro-chan" he smiled wryly. The cabin beckoned before them. Sliding back the door, Kakashi carried Kurotaka through to the main bedroom. She leapt down from his arms nimbly, grabbing a thick plush towel from the pile that was sitting by the electric heater, conveniently there for the use of returning bathers. Within seconds she was dry; hair twisted into a wet knot at the back of her head. As Kakashi dried himself off, she slid into the thick blankets, patting her hair awkwardly.

"Honestly Kakashi, you need to learn not to muss up my head like that. Do you have any idea how long it takes me to get all these knots out?" she grumbled, trying and failing to finger-comb out the worst of the knots.

"I'm so terribly sorry" he muttered sarcastically, flipping back the blankets and curling up beside her. His arms attached themselves in a warm circle about her lithe form. "And you accuse _me_ of being vain. Shall I brush it for you in the morning?"

"Sounds good" she yawned. "I fancy breakfast in bed as well, since you're feeling so generous."

"That's pushing it" chuckled Kakashi, closing his eyes and resting his chin above her head, Kurotaka's nose pressed against his chest. "but maybe you deserve it." She gave a noncommittal grunt. "I can't be bothered arguing any more. I'll beat you down later."

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Wild-filly: Please review!

Just curious – does anyone have issues with my including of song lyrics in later chapters? I promise that they'll be relevant and carefully/tastefully incorporated; but I just want to know what people think before I do anything. Thanks!


	27. Chapter 26

Wild-filly: As promised, here is the second part of the double update (delayed only because I wanted to know what everyone thinks about song insertions). **This is going to be the darkest chapter of anything that I have written to date.** Please be warned, and kindly don't flame. It's rather depressing to have to write this as it is without being skewered with pitchforks at the same time.

My thanks go to dysmorphic delirium, chaosreaver, JapanAnimeGirl, Tora Macaw, hiddenwindmill, Andrea, YamiKitsuneKami and Hatake-Kakashi x3

Disclaimer: Don't own don't sue. I'm not good enough at law yet to defend myself for free. Wild-filly does not own Naruto, nor does she own Nickleback's "Because of You".

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Okumen Gokurakuchou: Chapter 26

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The aftermath of that wonderful weekend still hadn't disappeared entirely from Kakashi's mind. Every so often he would find himself zoning out, eyes glossing over as he remembered the events that had partaken. He almost marveled at their complete lack of modesty. It was amazing. He'd never forget it. Hopefully the other bathers in neighbouring pools might though.

He yawned, crouched on the mid-height branches of a thick pine tree. The Chakra camouflage poured over his shoulders was a merely a thin blanket to hide his presence from low-level ninja. It wouldn't stand up to high-level scrutiny, but at the moment, he wasn't too concerned.

Rain poured all about him, a cold and heady shower that obscured the scenery about him. Kakashi was hoping that it wouldn't interfere with the Sharingan too much. In the case of an attack, he didn't need his new, and possibly most powerful weapon to be annulled by mere raindrops. The woods were shaded, as though in the middle of a damp cloud, colours grey and muted. Silence prevailed all around, save for the incessant pattering of rain against leaf litter and pine needles. Cold droplets dripped onto his head at intervals from higher branches, heavy from accumulated moisture. He shook his head, hair flipping like a dog's shaggy coat. Ah well. At least it wasn't summer. Heat was more unpleasant than rain.

He afforded himself a glance about the other treetops. He could barely make out the outlines of the other ninja. There were five of them in total, including himself. All of them had spread out about this particular patch of forest, all of them watching the same stretch of boggy path. All of them waiting for the same target.

The Hokage had left a message for Kakashi at his apartment, for when he and Kurotaka returned, somewhat giddy and vaguely intoxicated from their weekend away. They finally discovered the note in amongst the pile of junk that had built up in Kakashi's mailbox since the last time he'd checked it several months ago. Its words sobered them both up right away. Kakashi was to go on a mission the next morning; a somewhat important one. It involved the interception of a newly-discovered spy. The spy was going to be heading towards the border, in order to transfer forbidden documents that included transcripts of the Hokage's discussions with the army generals. Kakashi, Masurao and three ANBU members were to lie in wait to ambush the spy, and if necessary, kill them. The Hokage mentioned that the spy may send a decoy ahead, or have an armed escort, so they were to be extremely cautious.

Kakashi tried to excuse himself ineffectively to Kurotaka, but she had waved him away impatiently. "Get over it Kakashi. It's our job. I've got to fill in some reports today anyway. I'll see you when you get back."

And that had been the end of that. Before the break of dawn, Kakashi had met up with Masurao and three members of the ANBU, anonymous behind their masks. He too had donned his ANBU gear, leaving Masurao looking rather left out. But the plain clothes Shinobi was there to serve a purpose; to move in as _their_ decoy if necessary. The ANBU were noticeable enough as it was, but a plain clothes Shinobi with no visible weapons and specialising in Chakra rather than martial arts would not be so obvious.

So here they were; perched hidden in trees and getting wetter by the second. Kakashi's rainproof cloak was sodden and heavy, clinging about his shoulders in an unpleasant fashion. He hoped that the spy would show themselves soon, so that he could head home and remove the irritating garment. The chill was yet to penetrate his thin plating of white armor, but he didn't give it much more time.

A low whistle caught his attention. One of the ANBU further down the track had spotted something. Tensing, Kakashi braced himself against the coarse bark of his tree, eyes narrowed. Yes. He could sense them. The sound of soft shoes shuffling through the slush of the forest floor, turned to mud. He could hear the sucking of their feet, caught in the boggy terrain. That meant that he had an advantage in speed from the treetops. He crouched lower, breath tightening as he forced himself into a state of near silence. They would be in sight soon.

There. A flick of a cloak. One, two… seven people in total, walking in a line. All of them garbed in thick brown felt cloaks, unremarkable against the muggy colours and contours of the forest. He could feel no remarkable strength emitting from any of them, but perhaps they were shielding their potential. Their movements were slow and trudging. Could the spy be amongst them? This may only be a simple hunting party, but at this stage in the game, they could take no chances. If it was only a civilian group, then they should have known better than to move at this time, in this place. Although how they could possibly know that escaped Kakashi's logic.

From the corner of his eye, he caught a slight movement. Something in the trees! He spun, shuriken flying to his fingertips as something landed on a branch above him. Without even thinking, he hurled the razorlike projectiles up at the source. There was a series of rapid clinks as they were deflected. An answering barrage rained down upon him. Kakashi ducked and leapt off his branch, landing on one lower down and to the side, squinting up for his opponent. Another barrage of shuriken flew towards him. He sprang, surging upwards through the dense branches and landing above his opponent, a kunai tightly grasped in one hand.

There it was. Another ninja, hooded and cloaked in dark green. A forehead protector glinted up at him, but before he could see the symbol, the ninja was upon him, hurtling even more shuriken. Kakashi swapped a Kawarami to take the brunt of the attack, relocating himself above his aggressor and then diving down, seizing the figure in a headlock. Without a pause, he turned the kunai and sliced, cutting the Shinobi's windpipe. A gush of blood spurted from severed tendons, the other ninja's body stiffening and then sagging into Kakashi's arms. He gently draped the body on the branch, so that it wouldn't fall and make more noise than it already had. Turning back to the path, he saw that the procession had almost wound its way out of sight. Damn. The others must be caught up as well.

Springing down from the tree, Kakashi sprinted to the group. Time to engage the enemy; prepared or not. They didn't even hear his approach. The two men at the back fell swiftly, downed by a sharp blow to the back of their heads. At their brief grunts of pain and surprise, the other five turned in shock. _Run! _The cry set up between them and they scattered, flailing into the thicket. Kakashi cursed. He didn't even know which one he was supposed to follow. At that moment though, Masurao sprang to his side. He frowned. "Kakashi! You take those two, I'll get the others."

"Be careful," Kakashi warned. "They haven't demonstrated any powers, but we don't know what else might be lurking. Where are the others?"

"Probably still stuck with their assailants." There wasn't time for any more discussion. Masurao sprinted off between the trees, leaving Kakashi to follow suit. They were only normal people; they couldn't have gotten far. The other ANBU were capable enough to look after themselves and either way, he couldn't abandon the mission.

Wet branches slapped his face, rain splattering off his wooden mask. The trail was very fresh ahead of him, panicked and uncoordinated. He flitted like a ghost between the trees, eyes and ears intent on the surroundings. The Sharingan was spinning, a bloody mirror wheel, picking out the slightest of movements. He couldn't risk using it for long. There. One of them. It was crouched up ahead, trying to hide behind a log. Within seconds, he was upon them, lightly striking the startled figure behind the head and into unconsciousness. He rifled swiftly through its pockets. No documents of any form. He threw the limp body onto his shoulder, listening intently for the other. They couldn't be too much further on.

A shake of a branch under pressure caught his attention. He glanced up, only to see a kunai flying towards him. He dropped the body and dodged to one side, katana drawn. The other ninja above him paid no attention to their fallen comrade. _Not the right one_. Kakashi leapt, Chakra sticking his feet to the tree trunk as he sprinted up the tree's rough surface. In seconds he was on top of the hooded ninja, katana slashing in deadly arcs. His opponent flitted backwards, spiriting out of sight, or at least attempting to. The Sharingan spun in a bloody whirl, easily allowing Kakashi to track and copy the ninja's own movement. The two reappeared in the same spot, Kakashi's katana slicing forwards again.

A bloodcurdling shriek and the Shinobi's left arm, raised in a last minute defense of desperation, was sheared off at the elbow. Kakashi raised his own arm to avoid the blood that splattered his face, protecting his eyes. The ninja fell, sweating and swearing, voice high-pitched with pain. Steeling his heart to the injured man's cries, Kakashi grabbed him by the shoulder, hauling him aloft to look him in the eye. His captive had blue eyes, stretched with overwhelming pain and fear. Kakashi was impressed at the Sharingan's effect; it made him seem even more intimidating.

"Where is the other one?" he growled, voice low and menacing. His captive shook his head in terror. Not an experienced ninja by the looks of it. Kakashi doubted that he was even a full Chuunin; only a lower-level or very cowardly ninja would have crumbled so easily. He slowly raised the katana again, blood dripping in crimson rivulets from the glowing blade. "If you can't tell me where the spy is, then you're of no use to me." The threat was unveiled and with every inch of cold-bloodedness that Kakashi could muster. The Hokage had no qualms with this blood being spilt; that would be for Kakashi to sweat over at the dead of night.

"I…I don't know where he is…" Waves of pain were shooting through the other ninja, clasped helplessly in Kakashi's merciless grasp. "I was…. I was just…paid to look out for the group… that's all."

"How did you see us?" Kakashi demanded, grip tightening.

"Didn't…didn't see you. The other one did… the one who came with us… who lead us. He's killed one of you already… he's picking you off… sent us to…to distract you." Kakashi felt his blood run cold. He dropped the man and abandoned him, using the ninja's own jutsu to vanish and reappear on the path. Silence all around him. Even the ambience of nature had been silenced. This was not good.

"ANBU." The statement came as a combination of greeting and accusation. Kakashi jerked his head over his shoulder, Sharingan flaring. His addressor stood behind him, swathed in mist. _A ninja of the Hidden Mist?_ Of course…the clouds and rain would have been a perfect backdrop for him to remain unseen.

"What business have you here?" barked Kakashi. "A little fighter for hire?"

The other Shinobi chuckled. "Fighter for hire? Close enough I suppose. At the end of the day, aren't you the same thing?"

"Don't talk in circles," snapped Kakashi, katana hilt creaking in his grasp. "Your client is coming with us. I suggest that you surrender the spy and sink back into whatever puddle you crawled out of." Flagrant words, insulting, but largely ineffective. Kakashi used them flippantly as he scanned the surroundings. Still no sign of Masurao and the other three. Where on earth were they? How many "distractions" had there been? His own target had also mentioned that one of them was dead. He hoped that it was a mistake.

The mist was growing heavier, engulfing the forest around him. Kakashi couldn't see what was going on around him. _Shit_. This was not a good jutsu to get trapped in. Who was this assailant anyway?

"Your ambush has been sprung. You'd do well to leave" The hidden voice was mocking, easily confident. Not even the Sharingan could pierce these natural fogs. It wasn't an illusion, but a manipulation of the elements. Well that was just wonderful. Kakashi willed himself to remain perfectly still, letting his other senses tell him where is opponent was.

"It's not even worth killing you. You've failed your little mission. The spy's long gone. You weren't even tracking a spy in the first place" chuckled the voice, fading away. They were leaving, just like that! Kakashi was torn between feeling relieved and insulted. Not even worth killing? It must have been outrageously easy for them to have been snuck up on… How humiliating. Blinking with concentration, Kakashi gingerly picked his way out of the fog and off the path, wandering through the shrouded trees. There had to be a limit to the fog. Once he got out of it, then he could try following the trail again. Trying to summon the dogs would be pointless at the moment; they'd be running into trees every three steps, even if they did manage to find the scent.

He'd been bumbling around the woods in a most spectacularly aimless fashion for about ten minutes when the flailing presence of Masurao made itself known, in the form of crashing face-first into Kakashi's chest. Stunned, Kakashi nearly fell over backwards, bracing just in time and hastily drawing his katana, poised to strike. When Masurao's bemused and slightly dazed face swam into Kakashi's sight, he hastily halted his attack. "Masurao!"

"Hello Kakashi… all three of you" mumbled Masurao, eyes swimming oddly. "Your armor's pretty solid, did you know that?"

"Well it is supposed to deflect shuriken and the like" chided Kakashi, reaching out a hand to steady Masurao. "Where're the others?"

He shrugged. "Must've lost them. I saw two head off in the direction of the spy group. Dunno where the other one went." Kakashi felt his throat tighten. _The one that was killed?_ He frowned. "Masurao. I think that one of our number has been killed." The other ninja gave a sharp intake of breath. "You want me to look for the body?"

He shook his head. "Let's get back to the mission. We'll come back afterwards. The Mist ninja told me that this was a ruse, but we can't take his word. Not until we find the others and confirm it."

"A ruse? How annoying. What if the other one's still alive? Shouldn't we find him?"

"If they've held on this long, they can hold on another twenty minutes or so. Either way, we can't abandon the mission." Kakashi spat the words, but managed to force them out all the same. He hated the principle, but that wasn't the point. Masurao nodded in silent agreement. The two walked side by side, finally finding a break in the peculiar ninja's mist, from which they both leapt into a dead run. The trail was still fresh. They could catch up if they really made an effort.

"Kakashi" rasped Masurao, sprinting noiselessly alongside the pale Shinobi. "Up ahead. Do you sense that?"

A clash of Chakra. Kakashi could hear the crackles of energy. One of the ANBU must be powering up something incredible. Maybe the questionable spy was better equipped than they'd thought… He nodded to Masurao. "Split up and come at the battlefield from different ends" he instructed. He was the ANBU member anyway. It was his duty to take care of this type of mission. He could see the distaste cross momentarily across Masurao's face, before the older Jounin nodded tightly in agreement and took off into the underbrush, fading from Kakashi's sight. He continued down his wavering path, dodging trees as he flitted through the dense forest. The fleeing group had only been ordinary people after all; they couldn't have gotten too far, not in this kind of terrain.

But the Charka spark was nagging him. There must be an adept ninja hidden within the group, only now forced into confrontation. What kind of an opponent was this one? A flicker of doubt crossed his mind. Maybe he shouldn't have split up from Masurao. No. It was too late to worry about that now. He'd just have to make do with whatever happened. That was just it.

A clearing surged into Kakashi's vision, as he barreled out of the forest and into the small copse. All mood for stealth had vanished. Three surprised faces turned to him, pale with fear, huddled at the base of a tree. They seemed too scared to flee. In the middle of the clearing, one of the dull-robed travelers was holding a gasping ANBU by the throat easily aloft. Kakashi didn't think. He leapt straight for the figure holding his comrade in a stranglehold.

The figure threw the ANBU's convulsing body at Kakashi, forcing him to stop and catch the choking Leaf Shinobi. The robed assailant slid easily into a fighting stance, eyes glinting with something like amusement. Kakashi gently lowered the choking ANBU to the ground, own eyes hardening behind the wooden mask. His opponent did not appear to be armed, nor was the Chakra that had sparked so obviously earlier visible. He looked too confident to be drained dry of energy. There had to be more to this. Kakashi reached back and drew his katana.

A dry chuckle from his opponent's mouth, wrapped in thick cloth and covered from view. "So afraid already, ANBU? Quite rightly so. That would've been the second one that's dead."

"Which one of you is the spy? Tell me now and I won't wring it from you." A quick bluff to mask his scanning of the situation. The three huddled by the tree didn't look up to much. They were laden down with packs and seemed both utterly terrified and confused at the same time. Both were male, elderly. Probably just travelers heading in the same direction and unfortunate enough to be dragged into the group for cover. The spy must have merged in with them to avoid suspicion. Well, there went _that_ little idea.

"Which one?" The chuckle rose to a higher pitch with disbelief. "There never _was_ a spy, ANBU! You've been set up! This has been planned for months as a decoy for that idiot Hokage of yours!" Kakashi paled, eyes widening behind the mask. He felt as though someone had just crept up behind him and stabbed him in the ribs. He was almost tempted to check that they hadn't.

"What is your purpose?" he hissed, leveling his katana. The Hokage wouldn't have duped him or the others intentionally. His opponent raised one dark eyebrow. "My purpose? Isn't it obvious?"

At Kakashi's silence, apparently it wasn't.

"That 'spy' wasn't really a spy. It was a setup to take the Hokage's attention from the _real_ spy. As we speak, your true target has already crossed the border. And guess what? You're trapped. Completely encircled. Even if you defeat me, the Hidden Mist's ninja will return and pick up the slack. You want my advice? Surrender and maybe it won't hurt so much."

Kakashi glanced down at his katana. The silvery blade was shaking, his hand clenched so tightly about the hilt that his fingernails bit into the tough leather wrappings. This was do or die. They were rats in a trap. He didn't know how many others were surrounding them, or what their abilities were, or anything. The last two had been easy enough; he couldn't assume that they'd all be like that though.

"You think that the Mist ninja will return?" questioned Kakashi mildly. "He left. He's told me all this already. No one's coming to your rescue." He opened the Sharingan eye lazily, barely visible through the eye-slits in his dog mask from this distance. Not that that affected its purpose at all. He was ready for the slightest movement. His opponent grinned, but there was a tremour of doubt, barely noticeable to the naked, non-Sharingan eye. Good. He'd struck a nerve. At that, he moved in.

The katana flashed, grinding against a concealed arm guard. Kakashi flipped it back in a reverse crescent, cutting in and forcing his opponent to dodge, leaping backwards. He moved in again, cutting and slicing in deadly spinning arcs. All that the other Shinobi was doing was moving out of the way, the edges of his robe nicked by the blade's path. Hm. This was perplexingly easy. He flipped the blade expertly from hand to hand, forcing the dodging Shinobi back towards a tree and into a corner to avoid the slicing dives of that lightning fast sword. He'd have to attack soon. And Kakashi'd be ready for it.

A flare of Chakra spurted into the Shinobi's hand, stretching out to punch Kakashi in the chest. Kakashi's eyes widened and he pivoted out of the way, sword cutting downwards and narrowly missing the extended limb. Chakra hissed and sparked at his opponent's fingertips, a grin lazily playing in the other ninja's eyes. Another dive at striking Kakashi. He exchanged himself with a Kawarami, letting the log take the brunt of the strike. The animated wood burst on contact, shattering as though smashed with an ax. Not a nice attack to get hit with then. Maybe being cautious was a good idea after all.

However, the other ninja seemed determined to use this move against the darting silver Shinobi. Try as he might, Kakashi could not get out of range from the ninja's Chakra-hand. Every time he blurred out of sight, the Shinobi was behind him, at his side or moving in from the front, hand aflame. What was this guy; a one-trick pony?

There was no other option. He had to get rid of those hands. The Shinobi was diving closer and closer, skimming past Kakashi's armor with only the barest of margins to spare. A head-on collision could shatter his armor, sending shrapnel spinning in lethal paths all around them. Shrapnel that could pierce flesh and shred its way through skin and sinew as easily as a butcher's knife, though much less tidily. A head-on strike without armor would mean burst lungs and splintered ribs. All in all, not a nice way to end up. Kakashi poured Chakra into his Sharingan, the mirror wheel spinning its vicious, bloody circle. All at once the other Shinobi became nothing more than a walking target; every vulnerable point highlighted and every movement advertised as though surrounded with neon lighting.

He moved in, katana cutting in a vivid circle, flashing in the dull mists with what limited light could be reflected in the heavy grey morning. Heartbeat pounded slowly in his head. Breath roared into his lungs. Exhaled in noisy swirls. The other ninja's breath whistling in his ears. The other heartbeat elevated. Bloodshot eyes. Green irises. Jade green with flecks of yellow and brown. Skin pockmarked from adolescent skin disorders. They were side by side. He could feel the body heat radiating from under the drab cloak, hear the squeak of the leather boots hidden under it. The katana plunged in a steep undercut, slicing upwards, striking flesh at the opposite hip and continuing upwards. A hiss of pain. A splurt of blood. Splatter as droplets spilt onto the ground. The eyes widened further. The hand stretched out to meet him.

Kakashi felt his own eyes widen, his own breathing grow shallower. Burning fingertips reached for his throat. Too close! He hadn't cut quickly enough! Fingertips quivered as they neared him, all time at a standstill. He could feel the licking of the flames against his throat, covered by the thinnest of black fabric.

No. The hand was moving away, pushed by something. Kakashi's eyes drifted to the side. Masurao's ungloved hand had closed on the fireball that engulfed the Shinobi's palm. Masurao's eyes were expressionless, his face taut with pain. Fragments of his friend's hand were scattering, shredded by the Chakra that they were pushing away. Chunks of ruined flesh, snippets of delicate bone smashed to pulp.

"Masurao!" breathed Kakashi. The force of his swing thrust him away to the side, clumsily dropping his katana to avoid cutting Masurao on the reverse. The sword clunked to the forest floor, dripping with thick trails of arterial blood. All at once the clearing exploded. Screams seared Kakashi's ears. The sliced ninja fell to the floor, unable to support himself on one leg, the other hanging uselessly with the severed half of his waist. Masurao tripped on the fallen body, slipping in spilled entrails, his own hand awash with blood. Sickly shades of red and purple from exposed veins and shattered bones stained the earthy hues of the cold, rain-drenched ground. Kakashi stooped and grabbed his friend hastily, to move him out of the screaming Shinobi's way.

Another hand reached out, Chakra burning in convulsive rays. Eyes crazed with pain, driven by grim instinct to finish the job. A new scream shattered the clearing. A new splatter of blood rained onto the muddy, bloodied scrub of the forest floor. Another hot trail of scarlet life energy expelled in a lethal burst.

Now time truly had stopped. Kakashi was frozen, still bent over Masurao, both hands hauling the Leaf Jounin by the torso in attempt to get him out of harm's way. Masurao's eyes were fixed on Kakashi's, filled with fear, relief and a kind of horrified wonderment. They glazed in pain, breath stilling with a horrified shudder.

"Ka..kashi…" he murmured. "I…" Strength fled from him, draining with all the blood from his face. He angled his head slightly, face deathly pale, breath huffing in short, sharp gasps. Kakashi choked, horror building up as a physical embodiment in his throat. He could barely see over Masurao's shoulder, but the blood that had splattered his mask, spilling into his eye slots spoke volumes.

A hacking cough, tinged with the grim laughter of a hard earned victory. Kakashi straightened, eyes flooding as he looked over Masurao to the fallen ninja behind him, almost severed in two, but one hand resting on the pulverized remains of Masurao's lower back. The other hand rested there too, fingers wrapped loosely around a poisoned dart, dosed with a thick black toxin. He almost laughed at the hopelessness of it all. One of those moves would have sufficed. How desperate could you get? Giddy, half-formed, unreal thoughts flooded into his skull. Sinking to the floor, he could only sit, hiccoughing with disbelief.

Blood that had spurted in powerful successions, forced by Masurao's adrenalin-fueled heart was slowing, flooding, pooling and sinking into the slurry of dark earth and blood, pale bone and pulsating entrails. Kakashi cradled his friend's head in his lap, mask askew over his face. Tears poured in unashamed rivulets, cutting through the blood splatters in light trails, trickling from his cheeks down to his chin, sprinkling onto the surprised, lifeless features of the cooling body of Irai Masurao.

What happened next Kakashi could not remember.

The rhythm of walking awoke in his lulled brain. Legs swinging stiffly forwards and backwards. Swaying left then right. Tripping over sticks, sliding in muddy patches. He was heading somewhere. His feet were programmed without thought, taking him home. Branches scratched his face, arms scored by the wrath of brambles, leaving little trails of blood across his already crimson hands. In his hands, a cold bundle. The bundle's head was resting on his shoulder, stiffened and awkward. Somehow he was carrying it still as he stumbled on. Tears had crusted on his cheeks, the coppery smell of blood on his face, in his hair, on his tongue. Everywhere. Intoxicating, sickening, oppressive. The wind battered his face. The mask was gone. The rain had sunk through his clothes. Cold, blood, pain everywhere.

Faceless figures came rushing to meet him. They said things. Strange things. Things that didn't connect to any meaning in Kakashi's head. They pulled at him. Pressed at him. They took the bundle from his arms, squawking and chirping in a distressed manner. He clung to it reluctantly. Didn't know why. There was value to what he cradled in his arms, but he didn't know what. Everything was hazy. The scent of blood overpowering. He finally just let go. Everything just a blur. Just nothingness. Lights swirled past him, buildings nothing but solid obstacles in the way, people nothing but chirping nuisances.

He found himself inside his apartment. His wanderings had taken him there it would seem. Fatigue was all that he could feel. Everything inside his head was muffled. Thoughts weren't forming. He sagged, unable to stand, falling into a pile of soft clothes. Consciousness was slipping, but he held it stubbornly. Didn't know why. Didn't know anything.

The shadows in the room were darker, more forbidding than ever. The light more painful to his eyes. Pain was there. That was something. Pain in his arms. Blood, his own blood. Deep scratches. He looked at them, uncomprehending. More blood on his hands. Masurao's blood. How could it be Masurao's blood? Masurao never got in harm's way. He was too smart for that. Masurao was always fine. He was good at that. He never put himself in danger. He was always there, waiting at the end.

So how could that be? No answer came to him from the silence of his home. Mounds of soft clothes. Cobwebbed ceiling. Greasy stains on the window. Clutter on the floor. Discarded food wrappers. Pile of kunai by the dresser. Mess of the room reflected in the scratched mirror on the dresser. No one else here but him.

_Hands on the mirror, can't get much clearer_

_Can't make this all go away._

Something so surreal about it all. Thoughts swam around his head as he lay there, blood smearing the clean clothes that were scattered about the apartment. He remembered a dart. Poison dart. Why did he remember that? One lone needle, slick with black slime. Stuck deeply into sodden, bloodied… oh gods.

_Now that you're bleeding, you stare at the ceiling_

_And watch as it all fades away._

Toxin in the blood. Writhing through the veins. Slow acting? Fast acting? What were its effects? How easily can it be prepared and stored, ready for quick use on the battlefield? On which opponents do you use these particular toxins? Questions battered his brain. Another exam? Everything was so strange, so abstract.

_From what you do,_

_Because of you_

Maybe he had been poisoned? Logic was swimming loosely about his mind, unattached to anything. He was a vessel for simple thoughts, none of them belonging to him, and all of them only fleetingly noticed. Not possible… only Masurao had been stuck with that lethal dart. The only way… if blood got into an open wound. Oh… never mind. Head refused to lift from the pile of blissfully soft fabric. The calming, clean scent of soap powder, jasmine shampoo. Easing the heady, metallic fumes of drying blood. So tired. So sore. So utterly, utterly defeated.

A noise above him. Everything was quieter now, sounds deadened to his ears. Maybe this was death. Maybe it was something else. He didn't know. He didn't want to know. He didn't care really about anything. There was someone else in the room with them. A voice in his ear, blurred and indistinguishable from the malformed thoughts that probed his skull. No distinction between dream and reality. Something hauling him aloft. Or maybe they were dragging him to the floor. Eyes rolled in the back of his head. Who could tell anymore? He just let it happen, whatever it was.

_I know by the look that I see in your eye_

_I won't stand around and I won't watch you die_

It was all becoming lighter. Brightness and white light engulfing him. New sounds, unfamiliar sounds a barrage against his ears. He gave into the desire to sleep and throw it all to one side. He couldn't, wouldn't take any more. Just let it all stop.

……………..

Two figures stood by the obsidian memorial stone, one of them slightly taller than the other. A bunch of white lilies was clasped in the hand of the shorter, until she stooped to lay them at the foot of the monument. The taller, lankier figure just stood there as though stunned. The shorter figure, long black hair swishing as she straightened, turned to him.

"Kakashi. I'm not going to leave you here. I can't trust you not to sit here all night."

Kakashi's voice was tired, strained. "I know, Kuro. I don't want to stay. Just let me be to think a little." She nodded, dark blue eyes heavy with sorrow. She laid one hand on Kakashi's shoulder in a small gesture of sympathy and walked away, attentions directed elsewhere. He appreciated the idea, but couldn't dwell on it.

Turning back to the stone, he stared in disbelief at the newest carving. _Irai Masurao_. Killed in line of duty. An honourable death for an honourable ninja. He would be immortalised by his work and remembered by a hunk of immobile stone, even after all those who knew him passed on. It was odd. Not to see that face again. Those cheeky, droll eyes laughing back at him. The haphazard hairstyle. The klutzy missteps and foolish retorts. The small gestures. The big gestures. Helping him through his father's suicide and developing his relationship with Kurotaka.

_Obito. Masurao. Akiraka. _How many more of those he loved was this war going to claim?

Kurotaka was wandering, ambling out of earshot, but still within sight. An overwhelming feeling of guilt washed over him, forcing the tears that he had been stilling to spill over. He raised one gloved hand to dash them away, staring sightlessly at the cold stone. She had been the one to find him, bloodied and under the influence of the poison, limp on the floor of their apartment. The poison that had corroded away what little hope of survival that Masurao had had also flooded into his own veins, admitted by the cuts picked up from his dazed stagger back to Konoha.

So close to death himself, he could almost imagine what it was like to actually let go. Kurotaka hadn't though. She'd stayed by his side until he woke up and forced himself to understand what had happened. Every horrible detail. Only Kakashi knew the full story though. Masurao had moved into danger because of _him_. Never again. He'd said that he'd never again let his teammates die. He'd failed.

Kurotaka was back at his shoulder, standing silently. Her eyes searched his, but she made no comment about the tears that stood there, glittering like shards of broken glass.

"Masurao lived well and died heroically. He should not have died. No one here should have." She gestured towards the stone. "You can't blame yourself for his actions, nor those of your enemy. You didn't start the war. You didn't send yourself and Masurao into combat that day." Her voice was fierce, demanding that he listen to her. His eyes held hers reluctantly.

"I know." He answered quietly. "It's just that… I've lost so much already. Why did he have to go as well?"

She sighed, wrapping her arms tightly about his chest, burying her head into the hollow of his collarbone. They stood there, wordless and immobile for over a minute. Exhaling a shaky breath, Kurotaka slowly spoke "I don't know why, Kakashi. But you're still here. That has to be for a reason. You haven't lost everything just yet. Don't forget that."

He pushed his nose into her hair, inhaling the clean, flowery scent of her, chin resting on the top of her head. "I know, Kurotaka. Don't make me keep repeating that."

"I mean it, Kakashi-kun. Don't forget it. I don't want you to ever let go, not like how you almost did back at the apartment. We live, just like we die, for a reason. I'll never forgive you if you die like that."

He smiled wearily, ignoring the lump that still blocked his throat with longing to scream his anger and sorrow at the injustice to the world. "Don't worry. I won't die like that. I'll fight for life. Just make sure that you do that same."

She looked up at him, smiled and nodded. "Come on. Let's go home."

The two left the monument site. Only Kakashi would return there. He still needed to see those words there. Still needed to believe that it hadn't all been a nightmare. Still needed to remember the promise that he made.

………….

Wild-filly: That was the hardest chapter that I've ever written for anything. Reviews would be appreciated. Thank you.


	28. Chapter 27

Wild-filly: Well we're heading down the home stretch now… Second last chapter is here! And what a trip it's been… this has been a wonderful learning curve for my writing style. The stuff that's to come is still pretty grim, but I ask you all to keep faith in my delight for happy endings.

My undying gratitude to everyone who has reviewed – you all make the process worthwhile. If it weren't for all of your comments, encouragement and suggestions, this fanfic would have died a long time ago. Thank you for everything!

Disclaimer: wild-filly still doesn't own Naruto. Nor does she own Kakashi. She owns Kurotaka, but she thinks that Kakashi might have stolen her when she was watching the keyboard (wild-filly _still _can't touch-type properly… what's with that!)

………….

Okumen Gokurakuchou: Chapter 27

…………..

The funeral had been and gone, but life was refusing to progress in what could now only be described as a normal fashion. Kakashi kept expecting the door of his apartment to rattle on its hinges, as a chirpy Masurao assaulted the frame with a barrage of fists and insults towards its owner. The village seemed oddly silent, and a lot more brooding. He guessed that life in general was going to be pretty quiet. It would take a lot of getting used to, and even then, it would still seem strange should he ever stop to think about it. You can't spend most of your life with a person and then just expect to have everything without them seem normal. It was peculiar. Kurotaka didn't try to jolt Kakashi out of his stupour. She accepted his need for time to himself, or so he guessed.

The Hokage had been refusing to let Kakashi go on any serious missions for the week after his release from hospital. It was only sensible, if frustrating, he supposed. He needed time to grieve. Although Kakashi was suspicious that it was just to make sure that he didn't have any suicidal tendencies, keeping him in the village where the Hokage and his assistants could keep an eye on him. _Honestly_. Masurao and Obito had died saving Kakashi's life: he wasn't about to ruin their sacrifices himself. Besides, Kurotaka'd kill him for even trying it. Not that this would help matters out very much, but still, the thought was there. Nah. He had far too much to live for to do something as selfish as take his own life.

Another solid week of monotonous missions had followed. He had become the Hokage's errand boy, collecting messages and escorting supplies. It was dull, belittling and infuriating. Kakashi fretted, annoyed a having to run around after these pathetic little tasks – he wanted a bigger mission. He wanted to go to the front lines, and take out some of his pent up frustration on his hapless opponents. Maybe one day he'd find that Mist ninja who had accosted them on that hateful morning. But then what?

Kakashi sighed, massaging his temples. It was too much. The Mist ninja hadn't done anything to Masurao. Hell, he hadn't done anything at all. Whoever had been the mastermind behind the scam operation still hadn't come forwards to take credit. It'd only been a draw of sorts after all.

Pathetic. How many lives were spent for a mere draw; a flimsy, meaningless result in a war of equal contempt? It sickened Kakashi to the pit of his stomach.

"Kakashi-kun? What are you doing out here?" Kurotaka's voice carried faintly on the breeze as she leant out of the apartment window, head twisted upwards to see him. Her hair was wrapped in a towel, warm water dripping down the back of her shirt as she tugged on her fingerless gloves, sticking awkwardly to her damp skin. She was obviously just back from the local baths.

"Not much," he responded glibly. "Just thinking, that's all."

"What brought that on?" she teased gently. Hoisting herself out the window, she vaulted onto the flat roof and settled herself, cross-legged beside him. A slender arm, hardened from years of martial arts exercises, slipped around his waist, drawing him closer to her side. He leaned in amiably, enjoying her company. "Nothing I suppose. Just wondering when the war'll end, that's all." It was the truth, more or less.

"Not soon enough." She wrinkled her nose in distaste, lifting one hand up to her hair and tousling it with the towel in a futile attempt to wring the moisture from the tresses. "Apparently the Hokage's managed to get through to a couple of people though. They're going to order a ceasefire at the earliest opportunity. There's just the matter of squashing some rebel groups now." Black and white fringe stuck to her forehead, longer strands of hair now hopelessly tangled and sticking up in odd places. It was bizarre, yet strangely endearing.

Kakashi yawned, tucking his own arm about her shoulders. "Damn. Those always take the longest to silence."

"I suppose." She squinted up at him, shielding her eyes from the glare of the afternoon sunlight, scraping the renegade tresses out of her view. "Do you want to go and get some ramen? My treat."

Kakashi started, staring at her curiously. That was unusually generous of her. But then again, he reconsidered it. After finding out the details of the botched mission, Kurotaka had not tried to speak to him about it. Not since the time at the memorial stone, and even then she hadn't attempted to give him a pep talk. She'd just made herself present. While other ninja around the village had showered Kakashi with sympathy messages and pitying looks, Kurotaka had simply stayed quiet and by his side.

It only occurred to him now just how much more use that actually was.

"Your treat?" he quirked his exposed eye at her. "That's awfully considerate of you. Does this include extra helpings and noodles?"

She glowered at him. "Don't go taking advantage of it, Kakashi-kun. 'Some' ramen does not imply _all_ of the ramen in the shop."

"Ah, but I don't have to order _all _of the ramen available. After all, you'd be having a bowl as well, so that'd be one serving that I couldn't order-" He was cut off by a sodden towel suddenly relocating itself at high speed into his immediate person and cutting off all breathing orifices. Not a welcome state of affairs.

"Nice try, but no points." Kurotaka chuckled, fingers lazily trailing through the damp tangle of black and white locks. "I am _not_ forking out a fortune just so that you can consume your body weight in pork, miso and noodles."

"Maybe you should specify that in future" he grumbled, unwrapping the towel from his face and haughtily folding it. Kakashi offered her the tightly creased bundle with an expression of unruffled dignity. "I believe that this is yours."

"Why so it is. I wonder how it got there." Kurotaka accepted the bundled towel and tossed it carelessly into the apartment below. A couple of crashes and the shatter of something expensive suggested that if she'd been planning on having the towel land on the dresser, then she'd been right on target. The fact that her navy blue eyes widened and what little colour was in her face drained however, suggested the opposite.

"Problem?" Kakashi grinned, one eye creased with humour.

"Not personally. That was, after all, _your_ pot plant sitting on the windowsill."

"You hit Mr Ukki?" Horror ran rampant across Kakashi's features, voice strident and aghast at Kurotaka's nonchalant words. "Of all the heinous crimes that you could have committed against my person, you had to stoop so low as to attack a defenseless shrub…"

"Oh get over it Kakashi. It needed a new pot anyway. The old one was far too small." She quirked an eyebrow, eyes lightening as she teased him.

"But he was still _using_ it. You're supposed to do these things gently to plants. What will I do if he suffers post-traumatic stress syndrome because of that fall?"

"Then I'll pay for the psychiatric bills as well as the ramen tonight. Deal? I'm being more than generous."

"So you are." Kakashi chuckled under his breath, squeezing Kurotaka's shoulder lightly with one hand. She shook her head in mock disdain, nuzzling her face into the crook of his shoulder and chest. Her warm form was getting better at fitting against his body shape. Neither of them seemed to get tangled up anymore, nor falling victim to assorted cramps or muscle spasms from holding each other in ways that were comfortable for a minute at most, and then agonising. Mr Ukki could wait a few more minutes. For now, Kakashi just wanted to sit there, eyes closed slightly in the breeze, with Kuro's heartbeat beside his own, reassuring murmurs flowing from her lips. Nonsensical and barely audible on the swirling wind, Kakashi just enjoyed the fact that she was there. It was so much easier to accept things this way.

………………..

Soon enough, everything went back to its usual, barbed state of affairs. Truces didn't last long, and even kindly gestures contained hidden agendas, or so Kakashi noted. Not that this wasn't a good thing. It kept him on his toes, and stopped things from getting boring. Or easy.

"So what kind of ramen do you want?"

"I don't know yet, but it'd better be good. That plant pot was expensive."

"Hey, I suggested that you just use an old milk container. It'd be much cheaper, plus it would come with free plant nutrients."

"Absolutely not. Mr Ukki deserves a quality dwelling. I'm not going to shove him in any old bucket, just because some homicidal kunoichi decided to throw things at him."

"Technically I was aiming _around_ him, so it's not really my fault."

"Technical or not, you're still the one that smote him!"

"Fine, have it your way. I still don't see why you had to get the plant pot monogrammed for the stupid fern though."

"It's in case he has an identity crisis, alright?"

"Whatever. Maybe I should stop hitting you on the head. It seems to be having drastic effects."

Well, that was an unforeseen, but very useful remark to have been made. Kakashi decided to file this information away for later usage: personifying inanimate objects wins sympathy, free dinner and promises of no further violence. How much better could it get? "For your information" he said primly, "I was like this before any head injury was ever occurred against my person. I'm a terminal case."

Kurotaka shook her head in mock despair, then halted, fingers still entwined around Kakashi's own. "Is it just me, or does the stand look shut?"

Damn it all. Kakashi nodded. The bright lights and banners had been stored away, the stand silent and shadowed, out of the afternoon sunlight. "I guess they weren't expecting any business" he commented dryly. "Fried rice instead?" Gesturing towards an open stand further up the street, Kurotaka shrugged and continued on, tugging him after her. He let her lead, placidly observing the market stalls about them. Everything seemed quieter than usual. It brought a sharp pang to his chest, but he choked it down, determined not to dwell on his depression any longer than was necessary. Masurao wouldn't have wanted that. Masurao would have wanted Kakashi to enjoy himself; especially if enjoying himself meant eating a steaming platter of fried rice with an adoring, if argumentative kunoichi.

Kakashi drew a deep breath, and released it with a steady hiss. Serenity. He stood by demurely as Kurotaka took the initiative to order their helpings of rice, watching the proceedings impassively. When she turned to him though, a pair of disposal chopsticks sticking comically out of the corner of her mouth, juggling two containers of rice and more chopsticks between her hands, as she tried to avoid burning herself, he couldn't hold back a chuckle. She glared at him reflexively, then smiled herself, shoving one of the boxes and a set of chopsticks into his arms. "Come on. Let's go find somewhere quiet to eat this."

Kakashi tapped the side of his container absentmindedly. "Somewhere outside the village maybe? I'd like to get some real fresh air."

Kurotaka nodded amiably. "Yes, I don't see anything wrong with that. The woods just outside?" At Kakashi's nod, the two turned and ambled towards the gates, worming their way through the unusually calm streets. Kakashi pondered over the silence. Perhaps there had been another general call during the night. He was getting slack with just this minor work. It was about time he got back into doing proper missions. Nothing at the moment was doing him justice. Not that he minded spending the extra time with Kuro in the slightest.

The gate to Konoha was heavily barred, so they opted to climb over the fence, rather than incur the gatekeeper's very slow wrath. Well, Kakashi supposed that climbing over the fence would do that anyway, but as the Chakra returned to his skin after merging the soles of his shoes to the wooden frame, he decided that this had been a far simpler method. The enraged shrieks of the guards were fairly easy to ignore anyway.

Dusty pathway melted into pristine forest, shaded from the heat of the afternoon sun. Kakashi followed Kurotaka's lead as she traveled deeper and deeper into the wilderness, stepping nimbly over fallen branches and thick clumps of bushes. He glanced down at his container of fried rice. "Kuro-chan, the food's getting cold. Have you found a spot yet?"

She chuckled deversively. "Tell your stomach not to panic, Kakashi-kun. We're not far off now."

"You have a certain place in mind?" Kakashi ducked to avoid a low hanging branch, face contorting with disgust as he walked into a spider web that Kuro had somehow contrived to avoid. Sticky, silk-fine threads plastered to his face, and he scraped them away hurriedly. Horrible. The scrub was getting thicker and thicker. He could barely sense the smells and sounds of the village behind them. Why had she chosen such a remote place?

"We're here" she stated simply. He blinked. They had arrived at a little clearing. A shallow, brown stream filtered its way in between the spindly trees, a deepening pile of fallen pine needles at their base. A thin patch of grass betrayed a gap in the tree line, allowing the sun to pour down on the patch of turf unrestrained. It wasn't the most beautiful place in history, but Kakashi had a feeling that that hadn't been the intention.

"Odd choice of location" he commented wryly, settling himself down by the stream. Kuro lowered herself next to him. Was it just him, or did she seem a little tense? She shrugged. "It seemed okay to me. Quiet. No one else nearby."

Kakashi nodded, snapping his chopsticks and flipping open his rice container. To the trained eye though, it was obvious that he was watching Kurotaka carefully. She too had started to eat, but appeared restless. The rice was picked at, small pieces selected and the rest pushed to one side. She seemed to be thinking about something entirely different from food. The pallid colour of her face almost made him think that she were ill.

"Are you going to eat that, or just torture it?" Kurotaka looked at him in surprise, a grin flashing to her face. Kakashi smiled benignly at her. "What's wrong?" She was definitely awkward about something.

"Kakashi… there was something else that I wanted to tell you. That's why I thought that here would be a good place."

"Ne?" Kakashi put his chopsticks down, swiveling to face her, kneeling on the coarse needles of the ground. Mud stuck to the knees of his soft black gi trousers, cold dampness soaking through the fabric, but he was inclined to overlook it at the moment. There was time to complain about the laundry after Kurotaka had said whatever was bothering her so much.

"This… this is difficult to say…" She was still fretting at her rice. Kakashi sighed, reaching out and taking her fidgeting hands in his own, warm palms closing tightly over her, encompassing the small kunoichi's hands entirely. "In that case," he murmured, "just say it in the way that is easiest to you."

She opened her mouth, and froze, eyes fixed on a point above and to the left of Kakashi's shoulder. Pupils widened. "Move!"

Kakashi didn't think twice. He threw himself to the ground and rolled to the right, narrowly avoiding the stream as he spun around, eyes searching for the source of Kurotaka's distress. She had leapt to the side of a nearby pine tree, eyes fixed on a tall ninja, clad in a shifting camouflaged gi. Its muted colours seemed to fade into the dull greens and greys of the forest, but Kakashi refused to let these escape him. Throwing back his forehead protector, the Sharingan spun in a bloody wheel.

Colours, Chakra, the smallest of muscle movements. They all leapt at his vision as though pouring from an upended bottle. It was almost overpowering, the sheer overload of the senses that came from opening the vivid eye. He fought it, focusing on his opponent. Kurotaka had engaged the ninja in combat, a kunai in each hand as she fended off the sudden onslaught. He moved to go to her aid, but a new flicker caught his eye just as it surged towards him. More of them?

Hands hastily thrown up in defense, Kakashi was thrown backwards with the force of the impact, crashing into a nearby tree. The sheer momentum of the impact was enough to send stars spinning about his head, but he couldn't pay any mind to them. He pushed off the tree, shuriken in both hands and sending a volley towards his attacker. The other ninja blurred and tried to vanish back into the trees, but the Sharingan refused to let him disappear. Kakashi caught up to his attacker and in a sequence of strikes too fast for the eye to follow, struck every vital point that came within range. With a grunt, the ninja collapsed to the forest floor, just as a replacement rushed in.

Kakashi grappled with this new attacker, Sharingan racing to keep up with its movements. Blood flew from his kunai in scarlet ribbons, splattering against the forest floor in crazy patterns. Trees, branches, scrub. All of it whirled around Kakashi's vision, his mind completely blank save for the reactions of his opponent. There was no call for thought; it was simply act and react, attack and counter, lunge and retreat. His mind slipped into the strange comfort that this lull wove over him. The spell of the fight was hypnotic. Another ninja joined the flailing battle, and Kakashi simply accepted this as another opponent. It didn't matter who it was, or what they wanted. It was an enemy, and that was all he needed to know. More and more of these camouflaged, anonymous foes kept pouring into the clearing, or racing past them. They were heading for the village, Kakashi was certain of it.

Kurotaka spun and leapt to his side, the two colliding so that they stood briefly back-to-back. Her elevated heartbeat shook her body, breath heaving in roaring gasps. He could feel it all through that brief contact before they broke apart and attacked again, her warmth torn away from him.

He would remember that moment for years to come.

Mindless adrenalin flooded his body. The concussed and bleeding forms of their combined opponents were scattered about the clearing. It was like something from a war zone. A foolish reckoning: this _was_ a war zone. Were these the rebels that Kurotaka had been complaining about?

The only sounds in the clearing were the swish and sickening slicing of sharpened blades cutting into flesh, thuds of bone on bone, the clink of metal braced against metal. The ambience of the peaceful wilderness had been stripped away. Grunting, muffled curses and the squeaking of Chakra. Kakashi blinked. There were so many of them. Where had they come from? Why were they all here? He hadn't even noticed the arrival of most. If he hadn't known better, he'd have thought that they were all Kage Bunshin. But they all bled, not one of them turning into a cloud of harmless smoke.

"Don't let them get around you!" Kurotaka's shriek shattered the daze of his consciousness, ripping Kakashi from his placid mental recluse and back to reality.

"What're we doing here?" Kakashi panted the question, thrusting a kunai deeply into yet another opponent's chest cavity. He felt tendons and sinew give way beneath the blade, a warm gush of blood spurting over his hands and up to his elbows. Disgusting. He dragged the knife back and swiftly wiped it off on the ninja's earthy robe.

She shook her head wildly, sweat sticking her bangs awkwardly against her face. "Don't know! Rebel group…" She was almost out of breath by the sounds of it. Kakashi whirled to back her up, kicking her aggressor soundly in the gut and sending him flying into a pine tree. Kurotaka flashed a grin at him and shrank back, concern writ over her face. He didn't need to be told twice.

Ducking once again, Kakashi crashed to the forest floor, a massive Chinese star sailing over his head and Kurotaka's slightly shorter form, embedding itself deeply in the truck of a nearby tree. With a wretched groan, the bark split, a deep crevice gouging its way to the tree's core. A gravelly whine and the tree slowly bent, leaning until its own weight dragged it to the floor with a thunderous crash. Kakashi was already on his feet before it had hit the ground, staring down this new adversary.

"Not bad," the voice was nonchalant. "If you'd ducked a little later, I'd only have got your head." The figure rolled an eye at Kurotaka, breathing heavily and standing beside Kakashi, eyes wary. "Mind, I still wouldn't have been able to hit that little one. Funny. I didn't know that Konoha allowed such short ninja."

Kakashi decided against looking down at Kurotaka. The look on her face would make him burst out laughing and now was neither the time nor place for laughter or Kurotaka's attempted mutiny. "What is the point of your assault?" Kakashi attacked the matter plainly.

"Why now? Why throw so many men at only us?" Kurotaka joined the questioning, voice perplexed. "The village is so close."

The other ninja shrugged, robes flapping dramatically. Kakashi noted the rips and tears in the hem of the garb. They'd been traveling for some time, and that obviously wasn't a garment suited to rough travel. "A fight's a fight isn't it? Besides, if we're going to massacre the village, then surely we have to start somewhere."

"How many make your number?" Kakashi didn't hold much hope of having _that_ one answered, but you never knew. Some of the cockier bastards would give away key details.

"Enough," he gave another nonchalant shrug. "It doesn't concern me all that much. The others are already attacking the village from the back and flanks. You two just happened to get in the way of the front." He grinned, hands vanishing into the diaphanous folds of his expensive robes and drawing a twin set of katana. A perfectly matched silver steel and black pair. It complimented the ensemble wonderfully, Kakashi's brain informed him ironically.

Why oh why had he not brought his own sword? Kakashi could kick himself, if it wouldn't have directly aided the enemy's purpose. These things aren't supposed to happen when you're on a lunch break. He'd dropped most of his shuriken and kunai already. This would be troublesome to say the least.

"Kakashi," Kurotaka's mutter was so quiet that he almost thought that he'd imagined it. He inclined his head slightly to her, to indicate that he was listening, provided it hadn't been a figment of his imagination.

"Charge up the Chidori. I'll hold him off until you do." He nodded slightly and flickered, reappearing on the other side of the clearing. She was going to buy them some time, but that might not be enough. There were a good number of lower ninja flanking their master, snarling like curs on the end of a short leash.

"Never fear, rival Kakashi!"

The voice rang into the clearing like a bell. A bell that never washed its hair, if indeed the bell had any of said hair to begin with. The poised figure of Maito Gai burst into the clearing, eyes burning with anticipation. For once however, Kakashi didn't groan at the sight.

"Gai!" he fought the relief that clawed its way treacherously into his voice as the other ninja rushed to his side. "What're you doing out here? The village needs protecting."

"Konoha's mighty forces are holding off the invaders! They are many, but weak! I, Konoha's beautiful green beast, am here to protect the noble gates! It is an interesting coincidence that I need to help _you_ out, rival-Kakashi, and the fair Yumenimo-san!"

Despite the fact that she was currently staring down a homicidal lunatic with multiple troops at his disposal, Kurotaka contrived to shudder. Kakashi was impressed. Gai had managed to use four separate exclamation marks in one brief message.

"Help her hold them off Gai!" barked Kakashi. "I need a minute with this." It was time to take out this cocky intruder. If this was one of the rebel leaders, then bringing him down would hopefully scare the rest off. Drawing a deep breath, Kakashi leant forwards, gi shifting quietly as he seized his right wrist. The warm rush of Chakra that flowed in his body seemed to swirl out of reach. The Sharingan. He cursed inwardly. How could he have forgotten? He'd never tried to charge up the Chidori whilst using the Sharingan at the same time. Sweat broke out in chains of glimmering beads along his forehead. This was not a good time to break in a new combination, but it was the best one that he had available.

A frown broke over Kakashi's face, muscles tightening and brain feeling as though it were scratching at the inside of his skull. His mind ached with the effort of concentration. Kurotaka's gibes about his distaste for thinking were surfacing in his fatigued mind. He gritted his teeth. Even in his mind she was mocking him.

Slowly, slowly, the Chakra started to pool in his hands. Another precious couple of minutes and faint blue sparks began to flicker. The exhilaration of his own power, drunk with strength, moved to counter the draining effects of the Chakra usage. Adrenalin pumped into his bloodstream. Ah, how he'd missed the fight. He glanced up, eyes burning with excitement. He could make out the figures of his two comrades before him.

Gai was doing what he did best: wreaking havoc in an unsuspecting community purely by being there. Flailing limbs and flamboyant gestures concealed the deadly nature of the ninja's taijutsu. Kakashi watched as opponent after opponent moved towards the lethal green Shinobi and were battered senseless. He just wondered how long Gai could keep up his formidable trail of destruction, as even more adversaries poured in to replace the fallen. Some stopped to lash out at the whirling Gai, others barreled on to mount the assault on Konoha's gates. They had to get this menace out of the way and defend the village! The urgency of the situation fused with Kakashi's elevated fighting spirit. Only a few more moments...

Gai's leaping, diving path brought him behind Kurotaka, nimbly leaping out of her way. Kakashi devoted his wandering attention to her. A look of intense concentration was writ across her reddened face, sweat streaming down her forehead and neck, trickling down the bridge of her nose and the arch of her jaw, splattering onto the ground and mixing with the puddles of blood already dappled there. A small kunai in each hand seemed a pitiful defense against the slashing katana twins, but it was not the only one. Her adversary moved in at will, katana slicing in lethal, twirling arcs. Chakra sparked all along the blades, flooding from the ninja's palms and tracing its way across each of the shafts. A triumphant grin split his face in two, robes flaring with every move. _What a damned poser_.

Kunai and katana collided, metal grinding and sparking. Kurotaka's muscles were shaking. Only Kakashi seemed to notice the Chakra building at her feet. Her opponent leaned in, leering with malicious glee. "A little outmatched, aren't we?" With each word he added more weight to the katana, forcing Kurotaka's knees into an even steeper bend, sinking into the filth of the churned up earth, torn from the path of their duel. She grunted in response, eyes flickering to those of her opponent. Then she grinned.

A Chakra-flamed foot lashed out, fleet as a viper's strike and just as painful. The top of her scorching foot caught her adversary directly in the joint where his legs foolishly met and joined the rest of his body. Kakashi suppressed a wince. The ninja's eyes crossed and he staggered backwards, hissing with pain. Kurotaka dove in, springing up from the mud, Sharingan spinning. Limbs a blur, she lashed out, foot and hand, kunai and muscle. A whirlwind of attacks rained down upon the hapless robed ninja, still weakened by the unanticipated and exceedingly personal attack.

Kakashi glanced back down at his hand. The pale blue sparks were pulsating more strongly, squeaking, chirping in his ears. The song of the Chidori flowed in his veins, in his head. It was almost time. He could feel the heat of the Chakra building up in his palm, almost too hot to bear. Only a little longer.

Kurotaka turned, aborting her assault and diving out of the way, breath heaving and hands on her knees to steady herself, trying not to sink to the ground. Her opponent however, was not so lucky. Knees buckling, bruises purpling, his eyes turned eyes blank. Kakashi's eyes hardened. It was time to move in for the kill. Kurotaka turned to him, navy blue eyes lightening with relief. She smiled, a slow smile that seemed to take an eternity to stretch across her sweat-stained, effort stretched features.

Kakashi's feet dug into the pine needles, sinking into the filth and then releasing, propelling him forwards, Chidori singing in his hands. The clearing thudded past him, head full of the spell of the Chakra squealing and cracking, the snapping of bracken and underbrush. He loped closer, ever closer to the stunned ninja. Heartbeat thudded in his own ears. Breath swirled and rasped in his lungs. It was time to end this.

And the blank eyes became dark again.

With one sinuous movement, the supposedly stunned ninja flipped back onto his feet and lunged out of Kakashi's path, Chidori narrowly singeing the edge of his robes. Kakashi pivoted on one foot, eyes following the ninja's desperate vault to safety. He stared upwards, watching the ninja's arc take him over Kakashi's lowered head, landing off to the side and charging, katana swinging. Kurotaka's eyes widened. Her opponent was heading right for her.

Kakashi lost it. A complete and utter sense of blinding rage gripped him. The Chidori howled in his grasp and he bolted, legs pounding as though made of iron. NO human thought filtered into his brain. He was but a machine, fueled only by the trace essence of human fear and desperation. He sprinted with pure hatred boiling in his brain and bitterness seething in his mouth.

Kurotaka stood there, mouth open slightly in surprise. Her former adversary was now standing in front of her, a faint smile etched across his bloodied and broken features. His eyes were narrow with satisfaction, exhaustion and pain clinging to the edges of his pupils. She looked slowly down, eyes dark and pupils flared with wonderment. Black hair fluttered in front of her face, swept from her back by the wind. One hand caught the fluttering strands, mouth moving slightly in voiceless confusion. She stared at the white tips, saturated with bright blood, then stared down at the hilt buried in her upper abdomen.

That tore it. That completely and utterly, interminably tore it. Kakashi released a rattling shriek, more animal than man. He bore down on the motionless ninja, still standing in front of the stunned Kunoichi. Kurotaka didn't even seem to notice Kakashi's murderous charge, nor her assailant smiling before her. Her expressionless eyes remained locked on the hilt embedded in her chest and the second katana, lower, speared through both of her knee caps, skewering them together with one skillful strike.

A second later and Kakashi was upon the peacefully grinning ninja. He did not pause. There was nothing to reason with inside his brain. Chidori pierced flesh and bone, shattering on impact. Shards of bone splattered the clearing, chunks of hot muscle spurting and vital organs spilling onto the forest floor. A dull scream of pain burst from the impaled ninja. Kakashi's hand burst through the Shinobi's chest, other hand rising in a fist and crashing into the side of his head. The scream was cut short. Kurotaka's eyes followed her adversary's descent to the ground without emotion, without words, head then only rising to look back at Kakashi, confusion writ clearly across her face.

"What… what happened?" The words whistled in her breath, blood staining her teeth. Bubbles of blood trickled at the edges of her mouth. Kakashi stood in horror, breath rattling his hollow ribs. The corpse of her assailant slid heavily off his arm and fell silently to the ground. He didn't even notice. He could only stare at her, shock and utter despair pouring into his face. Not again. Please, oh please not again.

"I…I don't…" She trailed off, eyes falling back onto the katana thrust completely into her stomach. All at once, her knees began to buckle, hindered by the katana shoved viciously through them. Pain didn't seem to filter into her mind, just shock. Gravity took over, and she was oblivious to any of its consequences.

The sound of the katana slicing through her trembling joints however, did not go unnoticed by Kakashi. Without a second thought, he wrenched the hateful blade from the falling Kunoichi's legs and helped her sink to the ground, arms cradling her as gently as he could. He murmured in horror as he awkwardly held her head up, trying to avoid the katana the erupted from her ribcage at her back, spearing through clothing and spilling blood down the back and front of her dark blue gi. Her blood soaked into his own clothes, stained his own hands, copper scent thick in his nostrils.

Her eyes found his again. They seemed to ask a question. Without hesitation, Kakashi pulled his bloody mask down and stooped his head in close to her. The smell of her blood was overpowering, overwhelming the soft fragrance of her hair and skin.

"I wanted to tell you…" her breath allowed little more than a whisper. He could hear the bubble of blood in her throat, knew that she couldn't say much more. Tears spilled down his face without restraint. She frowned at him quietly, seeming to voice her disapproval. "…love you… and…"

The pain that her body had been ignoring seemed to sweep over her, engulfing her senses and stripping consciousness from her motionless form. She rolled back limply, helpless and motionless as a rag doll in his arms. Kakashi stared in horror as her eyes rolled back in her skull, head drooping. Breath that had rustled painfully into her lungs no longer tickled his cheek.

"No, Kurotaka," he mumbled softly, reaching to touch her face. Cool skin at his fingertips. She couldn't be…? He stroked her cheeks anxiously, probing for any sign of movement. The faintest sign of recognition. Nothing. Still nothing. Dumb disbelief was all that reigned in Kakashi's skull.

Gai padded wordlessly up to Kakashi, face expressionless. He stood beside his rival for a couple of moments, watching Kakashi as he lowered his face over Kurotaka's and wept without shame and without restraint, tears falling onto the Kunoichi's motionless features, cutting clean trails through the criss-crossing bloodstains and mud splatters.

"Kakashi," Gai spoke at last. "There is nothing else that can be done. We must defend the village. It was our last living mission together. Don't let her death be in vain."

Kakashi stared up at him, eyes moist with emotion. "I can't leave her here."

"There's no time Kakashi, we have to help now. How many more have to die before you understand?" Gai grabbed Kakashi by the shoulders, shaking him hard. His eyes burned with a new variety of flame. "What would the valiant Kunoichi here be telling you? Self-pity will not suffice! You must do what you can to help the living and honour the dead later!"

Detestable words. Kakashi wanted nothing more at that point than to run Gai through with the Chidori as well. But they were the truth. He couldn't do it. He couldn't hurt Gai, no more than he could allow Konoha to be ransacked and massacred. With his heart in his mouth and tears beading in his eyes, he gently lowered Kurotaka to the ground, sliding the katana out from her stomach so that she may lay flat on the ground. A look of peacefulness was sketched across her dirty, bloodied features. Swallowing hard, Kakashi rose shakily to his knees and followed Gai from the clearing.

There was no corpse to recover when he came back that night.

……………


	29. Fledgling

Wild-filly: And here we have it, the last chapter of Okumen Gokurakuchou. Thank you all so much!

Disclaimer: for crying out loud… I still don't own Naruto, Kakashi, or anything of value… why do I keep having to admit this painful fact?

…………..

Okumen Gokurakuchou: Fledgling

……………

Dawn light was beginning to spread, spilling through the canopy of thick fir trees. Kakashi blinked as he stared up at the intruding brightness. Morning already. He'd lain awake thinking about her again. It still happened, even after nearly eleven years. Maybe it was because there never had been a body. There was always a chance, no matter how slender, that she had gotten away. Someone might have stopped and helped her. But why wouldn't she have come back to him? Why would she have stayed away from Konoha entirely? Such questions itched the back of his skull, robbing him of sleep and torturing his taskless moments.

That was why he had thrown himself into his work. His reputation had burst, like a fragile bubble obliterated by the massive blow that had been his loss of Kurotaka. His name had spread. _Copy-Ninja Kakashi_. Not just the son of Konoha's White Fang, but a challenge in his own rights. A worthy adversary. An honourable ninja. A merciless foe and dedicated sensei. After losing so much, he had only his work to fall back on, and fall back on he certainly had.

It was rather annoying that at the end of it all, the only person that he still had left from his original Jounin team was the one he had valued the least of all. Maito Gai. At least some things never changed. They still annoyed the hell out of each other. It was a reassuring kind of annoyance. Even though they fought with each other, the terms were always exaggerated, toying and mocking. As much as Kakashi was loathed to admit it to himself, he actually liked having the other ninja around, even if it was just for cheap entertainment.

The rustle of a sleeping bag caught his wandering attentions. One sleepless eye swiveled to observe the tossing of his blonde-haired student. Naruto was yawning, stretching sleepily where he lay. With a snort, the Genin thrust himself out of the tangle of plushy fabric and staggered away. Kakashi sighed. It was time to begin again. It took only a matter of minutes for team Kakashi to break camp and vanish into the forest. If there was one thing that Kakashi was good at, it was disappearing.

"Are you going to tell us what our mission is yet, Kakashi-sensei?"

Kakashi rolled his eye. Was this kid _ever_ going to shut up? They'd been walking for only half an hour and he had already started on it again. He'd been like this since they'd left the village nearly a week ago. "Hai, Naruto-kun. It's not much further now. We've been assigned another minor mission by the Hokage-sama."

"Minor? Awww… not _again_ Kakashi-sensei. I'm sick of all these stupid, meaningless missions." Naruto pouted, arms folded and face writ with an expression of intense disgust. Kakashi noted though, that for all of the silence of Sasuke and Sakura, neither of those two looked very enamoured with the concept either. They were just better at hiding it than the ever-transparent Naruto.

"Naruto! It's not for you to challenge what the Hokage-sama tells us!" Sakura shook her head at the other Genin impatiently. "If we've been sent on this mission, then it's obviously important to someone." It impressed Kakashi how she always took it upon herself to do all of the necessary scolding. It certainly saved him the time and energy.

"So what are we actually doing?" Sasuke spoke this time, much to Kakashi's surprise. Not that he was going to show favouritism, but he felt obliged to answer the young Uchiha's question. He highly doubted that Sasuke was aware of Kakashi's own ties to the Uchiha family; namely through his bastard second cousin; but he still couldn't help but acknowledge a small feeling of kinship towards the young man. That and the fact that he was usually less irritating than Naruto. Besides, Sasuke needed some kind of reward for speaking in terms beyond a grunt.

"We're going to help repair some storm damage in a little village just a couple more miles north of here. Winter took its toll more heavily on his village than anywhere else nearby. Thankfully for them, they were able to scrounge up enough money to bring in some Shinobi to take care of the majority of the drudgework and heavy lifting. Normal workmen aren't strong enough to take care of this kind of thing on this kind of scale." Kakashi noted with some amusement that if possible, Naruto looked even more annoyed then he already did.

"We're just cheap labour then?" Kakashi would have called Naruto's tone one of affront; if he weren't quite certain that the Genin didn't know what 'affront' meant. Pissed off would have to suffice for now. All the same, he nodded cheerfully at the fuming Naruto and strode on, whistling. Ah, baiting them was so much fun. Not that he figured that he'd be able to do it for much longer, at the rate that the three were progressing in skill.

A ramshackle village began to emerge in pitiful segments of battered wood, peeking out from dense forest foliage. Kakashi could feel the presence of scarcely more than seventy people within the small confinement. They must be exceptionally reclusive to be dwelling all the way out here in the middle of nowhere. It had taken Team Kakashi over a week to reach the place. Mind, that probably had something to do with Naruto and Sasuke's bickering and Sakura's demands for normal levels of hygiene. Pitiful really.

"That's the place, Kaka-sensei?" Kakashi glanced around to see Naruto's gaze affixed on the nearest house, roof peeling away and drenched wood rotting and falling away. Deep mud puddles mapped out the scant pathway that served as a street for the town. Piles of refuse were scattered everywhere and skinny, sullen children skulked along the sides of the ruined buildings. There was a peculiar sympathy written over the young ninja's face. Sakura seemed equally wrenched, standing behind Naruto's shoulder with a thoughtful frown over her face. "How long have these people been living like this?"

"Long enough," replied Kakashi shortly as they moved towards the entry. "Not much money between them, so let's be generous, ne?" The three looked at him curiously, although Sasuke appeared as stoic as ever. Kakashi eyed them appraisingly. "We have to tell the Hokage how difficult the mission was after we get back. The harder we say it was, the more these people get charged. Does anyone feel like a little charity?"

Sasuke smirked. "You're saying that we should lie to the Hokage?"

"No," Kakashi grinned. "I never said that. You just took the idea into your head somehow." Sasuke snorted impatiently, while Sakura and Naruto grinned. Those two would be fine. And Sasuke probably wouldn't say anything to anyone anyway, since talking was something of a chore for the young man as it was.

All of the village adults were already hard at work, sawing lethargically at chunks of sodden wood. Kakashi set the younger three off to help; to fetch and carry, to climb up the slippery roofs and secure the planks there. It was good practice for Chakra manipulation, if Naruto's headfirst descent, falling off a low and unexpectedly slick roof to the entertainment of the children, Sasuke and Sakura was anything to go by.

Kakashi resigned himself to assist with the wood cutting, Chakra helping to speed the process along a little. He tried to not make it too obvious though. It wasn't a good idea to let too many members of the plebian masses understand the intricacies of the ninja arts. Wait a minute… Naruto was demonstrating his Kage Bunshin no Jutsu to a crowd of squealing children, roof abandoned. With a low growl, Kakashi shook his head. Idiot student. Dumping down his pile of freshly carved roofing planks, Kakashi meandered towards his errant pupil.

"See? I bet you can't guess which one's the real one!" Pride rang through Naruto's voice, joined by the excited shouts of laughing midgets. As one, the herd of uncontrolled offspring launched themselves at Naruto and his clones, pinching and poking, trying to find the real one. Plumes of smoke filled the air, forcing Kakashi to halt and wait for the atmosphere to clear. Naruto wasn't quite smart enough to sense danger in the form of his irate sensei.

"Ha! You got me alright!" Naruto lay sprawled in a deep mud puddle, four small children astride his stomach as though he were a bright orange and very muddy pony. The rest of the chirping bunch gathered around, pointing and laughing. Kakashi froze, reluctant. He didn't have the heart to interrupt. Let Naruto finish his tasks in his own time. With a grunt, he turned back to his pile of wood slates. Now seemed to be as good as any time to attach them to a roof. Scanning about the grubby area, Kakashi chose a house at random and vaulted nimbly onto the slippery surface, Chakra flaring and securing him onto the cracked slates.

It took Kakashi a good few minutes of despairing staring at the ruined roof to realise that someone, or something had moved his hammer and nails. Ambling over to the edge of the guttering, he peered over the edge. It would appear that gravity had been the culprit. Ah. He hadn't secured them with Chakra. Oh well. He couldn't be expected to think of everything all the time.

Tucking himself neatly into a ball, Kakashi rolled off the edge of the roof. Using the momentum to spin himself into a somersault, the lanky silver-haired Jounin landed easily on his feet and sank a good few inches into the mud for his trouble. He gritted his teeth, tensing to prevent himself from flipping over backwards. Damn this place… didn't it ever dry out here? It then occurred to him that he had an audience.

"You dropped your hammer, ninja-san." Three curious children were gathered around him, one of them holding it plaintively between his dusty hands. All of their eyes were on him, expectant. Kakashi stared back, perplexed. Three large pairs of eyes, two brown, one blue, followed his every move.

"Can I have it back?" _Ask a stupid question, Kakashi_. He chided himself internally.

"Can we see a trick please?" They clustered closer together, eyes somehow contriving to widen even further. Kakashi mentally rolled his own. Honestly. There wasn't a child alive that could get anything out of him. He considered himself one of the few, and exceedingly fortunate people, capable of resisting a child's pleading gaze. Not that he had had much experience of these, of course. Most of his practice had come from getting Naruto to put the marshmallow bag away these last few nights.

"I'm not a dog to do tricks at your whim" admonished Kakashi, but his tone was gentle. Two of them looked down, scuffing their filthy shoes in a hangdog look otherwise guaranteed to win support. One of them just turned away, apparently unwilling to stoop to the lengths of the other two.

"Please, ninja-san? We promise that we'll give it back. We just want to see a little trick… we've never seen ninja before." They returned their collective deceitful gazes to him. _Damn them all_. Kakashi glanced hurriedly about himself. Naruto was still playing the role of chief entertainer a couple of houses away, surrounded by his adoring, kindergarten-aged fans. Sakura was mixing a waterproofing agent and Sasuke had vanished into the woods to cut some more roofing material. Neither of them would see anything. Kakashi sighed. Ah well. It was just as well that he hadn't stopped Naruto for what he was about to do himself. Hypocrisy didn't bother him too much when he, Kakashi, was the one doing it, but it was always irritating for someone else to point it out to him in the continual, high-pitched and indignant fashion that Naruto would.

"Fine." He rolled his one visible eye skywards. "Would you like to see my pet dog?"

The look of excitement that crossed their faces answered his question without words. Kakashi deftly cracked a smoke bomb, screening his actions from view. There was no problem with being too cautious. Within seconds he'd unrolled the scroll and bit his thumb, smudging a little trail of blood down the activation seal. Only enough for one very useless dog. Another puff of smoke joined the cloud that he'd created.

"Kakashi, good to see you! What's our mission?" A yap filled the air, startling the cluster of children who were still squinting into the slowly melting shield of smoke. Kakashi sighed. This was only going to get more painful.

"Hello Pakkun," he greeted the small dog. "Do you think that you could entertain these while I finish this roof?"

"What do you mean by 'these'?" Pakkun never heard the answer that his master didn't give anyway. The trio of small children tackled the pug to the ground and began petting him, squealing with delight. The pug never stood a chance.

"Kakashi!" Pakkun's voice was muffled under the excited pile of limbs and giggling infants. "This is _not _what the scroll agreement was all abou-" His disagreement was stifled by a small girl's interested hand. Pakkun wasn't stupid enough to bite a small child. They usually had mothers. Aggressive mothers. Kakashi chuckled. At last he'd found a suitable mission to occupy the talkative little mutt with. Baby sitting. He shook his head and moved to vault back onto the roof, but something stopped him.

"Wait."

He turned, one eye lazily curious as he looked to find the source of whatever was tugging on his dark green jacket. A child stared back at him, eyes equally curious. At a glance, Kakashi guessed that she was only slightly younger than Naruto, although small for her age. There was an odd tilt to her head, a set of her jaw that seemed familiar to him, though he couldn't quite place it.

"Hai?" He didn't know precisely how to handle this type of situation. Most of the women who accosted him tended to be considerably older and a lot less subtle. It was tiresome to keep pushing them all away or finding new excuses to make himself scarce. Someone of this age was definitely a new one for the books though.

The girl bit her lip and seemed to rally herself. She straightened her back and stared up at Kakashi, a new confidence blossoming in her face. He watched her, fascinated. This had to be one of the more curious encounters that he'd ever had. Most children found his lack of three-quarters of his face rather intimidating.

The slap came out of nowhere. He had no chance to duck and never saw it coming. Kakashi rocked to one side, eye swiveling with astonishment to stare at the little girl who had reached up to her full height and deftly belted him across the cheek.

"Kaka-sensei?" Great. Just what he needed. Naruto's surprised voice rang out from where he had paused his circus act, herd of adoring fans also staring in confusion. At Naruto's call, both Sasuke and Sakura chose to emerge and see what was wrong, heads craning around nearby buildings for a closer look. Kakashi glared down at his miniature assailant, who was still standing in front of him, hands on hips and a satisfied expression on her face.

"What was that for?" queried Kakashi. "Usually people wait until I've spoken to them before they take offense." He rubbed his face absentmindedly. She had quite a blow to her for an untrained midget. It was just as well he wore the mask constantly. He didn't want to have to put _that_ bruise on display, complete with the invitation for people to question him as to what embarrassing circumstances lead to it being put there.

Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke hurried over, concerned. Sakura seemed confused, but Sasuke had a look of amusement on his face. Naruto was beside himself. The brightly-coloured Genin raced over, ahead of the other two and stopped in front of Kakashi's juvenile attacker. "Why'd you go and do that?" He loomed over the shorter girl, glaring at her. "That's our sensei you just hit!"

The child glared at Naruto, "I know it's your sensei, idiot. I hit him because I was told to."

Kakashi could safely say that nobody saw that one coming. He could only stare at the haughty little madam incredulously. Had the world started hiring very cheap and somewhat incompetent assassins?

"Who told you?" Naruto blinked in confusion. "I don't believe you! You're just being a brat." Eloquently put. Kakashi shook his head. Trust Naruto to take the offensive way out of an argument. Or at least into one.

"Naruto, that's not how you talk to someone younger than yourself," _even if it might be true_ he added silently. "Please, young miss, can you explain precisely why you were told to hit me?" This had to be one of the weirdest conversations he'd ever had, and there had been some _weird_ ones.

"I don't know." The child seemed perplexed, blue eyes widening innocently. "Kaasan just told me that if I ever saw a tall man with white hair, hardly any face and dogs I was to hit him… and something else. I was to call him something… I can't remember what though." She cupped her small chin in one hand. Kakashi felt all of the colour draining from his face. _What on earth…?_

Naruto snickered. "You upset some lady, Kaka-sensei? You really messed up if this is what I think it is."

Kakashi was too stunned to even note the time and date that Naruto caught onto something in less than ten minutes.

"Your kaasan?" Sakura crouched down on one knee to look up at the shorter child. "Where is your mother?" Her large green eyes were kindly, reassuring.

The girl looked down at her, uncertain. "She's over in our house over there," she gestured towards the east of the village, "the one with the wood planks in front of the door."

Sakura blinked. "Why are there wood planks?"

The child looked at her as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "So she can move, of course!" As she turned, Kakashi noticed for the first time that her hair draped down the length of her back, scraped out of sight into a ponytail and the top of her head covered by a blue headscarf to keep out the cold. Her hair was pure white, as pale as his own had been at her age. He choked. This couldn't be happening.

"Sensei!" He had started walking without even telling his feet to go. The three Genin were following him, complete with his miniature assailant and the pack of curious infants. He barely noticed them, mind swimming with half-formed possibilities and wild guesses. Ramshackle houses were a passing blur. He strode past them as swiftly as he could without breaking into a run. It might only be a false alarm. He couldn't forge false hope only to have it dashed down again. He couldn't dare to hope any more.

A little house rose into his view. Some flat wooden planks had been drawn across the entrance, laid flat on the muddy ground. A series of wheel ruts were gouged deeply into the filthy earthen track outside it. Kakashi stalked over to the house and hesitated. Should he go in, or knock? Indecision gripped him, chipping away at his resolve and forcing his brain to scream at him in frustration.

Throat tight, Kakashi rapped on the foundering wood of the door. A rustle of movement inside. He couldn't sense who or what it was. He knocked again, louder, breath beginning to rustle in his chest. Could it be?

"Just a moment…" A low grumble emitted from the recesses of the dark hut. Kakashi's head jerked up, eyes widening in apprehension.

"This thing's murder in all this mud." The voice was muffled, breathy. A rattling squeal assaulted Kakashi's ears and then a wheelchair was jerked awkwardly into view, mounting the wooden planks at the doorframe. A pair of curious eyes found his and widened, pupils flaring in shock.

Kakashi froze, eyes locked on the woman before him. She stared at him, face a contortion of different emotions. The white-haired kit ran to her side, staring up at Kakashi curiously. Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke approached, hesitant but intrigued by the sight of their usually stoic, controlled sensei struck dumb. They hung back, not wanting to crowd the scene. Kakashi paid them no attention. His eyes were fixed on the occupant of the rusty wheelchair, breath ripped from his lungs and a lump welling in his throat.

"Well…." The voice was crackly, clumsy with emotion. Dark blue eyes became watery, then creased into a mocking grin. "It's taken you long enough, Kakashi-kun. I was beginning to think that you'd never figure it out." White-tipped black hair spilling over the wheelchair's occupant in lavish folds. Yumenimo Kurotaka beamed at the stunned silver Jounin before her, eyes awash with delight.

"Figure what out?" Kakashi could barely speak. How could she truly be alive? It was impossible, a miracle. "I saw you die… you… what happened?" His poor tormented mind was in disarray. He wanted nothing more than to fall onto his knees and hug her close to him, lest her image disappear as though it were nothing more than a figment of his imagination, as it had been for so many years.

Kurotaka cocked her head to one side, grinning up teasingly at him. "You think that I'd die that easily? I was in a bad way, I admit. Completely lost the ability to stand on my legs for one thing," she gestured irritably at the rickety wheelchair. "A couple of travelers picked me up and when I came to, I was here. I don't have any money or usable legs, so I've been stuck here, waiting either to heal or for you to find me at last."

Kakashi nodded slowly. "That wound wasn't fatal? I wasn't thinking… I thought you were dead…" Kurotaka shook her head, eyes closing empathically. "It hurt like hell Kakashi-kun, I won't lie. But I'm not dead. My legs hurt too much for me to be dead." Kakashi numbly took in the grimy bandages wrapped tightly about the former kunoichi's knees. There was no blood on them. The damage had already been done.

The white-haired child shifted, catching Kakashi's eye. He stared at her sharply. "Who…? You weren't…?" Kakashi gestured hopelessly at the startled girl standing beside Kurotaka. It was a vague question, but he had to be sure. Long white hair, pale skin, dark blue eyes. A personality that could cut through rocks and a slightly sleepy expression. He was pretty much certain already.

Kurotaka smiled; a true smile with no hint of mockery. "I was. That's why I wanted to take you out of the village. I didn't want to be overheard by-" for the first time, she seemed to notice Sasuke. Her eyes narrowed. "I thought that the entire Uchiha clan was wiped out?" Apparently she wasn't completely isolated from the happenings of the outside world.

Sasuke glared at her. "I am all that's left, apart from my… brother."

"That's not true." Sasuke blinked at her, startled. Astonishment splashed across his face, reddening slightly at her words. Kakashi almost burst out laughing. "Kurotaka's of Uchiha blood as well, Sasuke-kun," he explained gently. "But not of the legitimate kind."

"That's my father?" The girl interrupted before Sasuke could spontaneously combust at this news and Kurotaka could glare at Kakashi for ruining her opportunity to gloat over her ill-gotten bloodline. Kakashi stared at the child with a new light. Truly? It was unbelievable… or maybe it wasn't, and that was the hardest thing to grasp. He smiled tentatively behind the mask, eye arching into the slightest of creases.

"Hai, Mukudori-chan," Kurotaka grinned, navy blue eyes fixed on Kakashi. He felt his grip on sanity slip slightly. Mukudori. _Grey starling_. How appropriate. How could he not have felt her life mingled within Kurotaka's presence in those last few days together? Had he been so fraught over Masurao's death that he hadn't noticed the beginning of life? It was incredible. He had lost more than he even realised on that day. A new pang stabbed his chest. _He had missed so much_.

Kurotaka shook her head, stretching her arms out wide, smile benign. "It's taken you long enough Kakashi-kun, but that's ok. I want to go home now. We both do." She leveled her eyes on his own, dark pupils forbidding but gentle mocking, a spark of something he had not seen in a long time flaring within those eyes. It was what he had been looking for and had never found. It was something that he had thought lost for so long, and had now been returned to him in the most perfect, most wonderful way possible. Here in an ignominious little village, here out of the reach of warring nations' interests, she had been safe for so long. It was time to reclaim what was his.

A foolish smile broke over Kakashi's face, throwing restraint to the wind. In one movement, he tugged his mask away and descended upon Kurotaka, drawing her up into his embrace and out of the wheelchair. Arms enfolded her small, warm form, hoisting her aloft and clutching her tightly to his chest. Tears tickled his cheeks. He hadn't even noticed them fall. The soft scent of her, clean and slightly floral, engulfed his senses as he buried his face the crook of her neck. Her fingers knotted about his hair, soft lips on his ear, gentle and warm. Her heartbeat drummed alongside his own, her arms wrapping themselves about him. Both of them entwined again at last. It was over. It could all start again.

Naruto turned grouchily to Sakura, disappointment clear on his face. Sakura squinted at him, shaken at what had just unfolded. Their seemingly emotionless sensei had just revealed an entirely new side without the benefit of a full explanation for the perplexed onlookers. "What's wrong Naruto?"

"We still haven't seen his face, even after all that!"

END

…………….

Wild-filly: My undying thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed! Sayonara until next time – we're all done here! I cannot thank you all enough and I hope you've enjoyed the trip as much as I have. Thank you again! This has been my first step towards becoming an author, so I thank you all for helping me through his and helping me to develop my writing style.

By the way, if anyone wants to see a sequel to this, please feel free to post suggestions. I am perfectly amenable to write a sequel to this, but I need some more inspiration. Thanks!


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